Sakura and Sasuke's Tutoring Sessions
by TeddyBearHugs
Summary: When school heartthrob and basketball captain Uchiha Sasuke is secretly crushing on the class nerd Sakura, he gets her to tutor him so he could finally tell her how he feels. AU. OOC.
1. How It Began and Sakura's Problem

**Author's Note: This is my third story and I hope you guys like it! I wrote this story for one sole reason: to cheer people up :) It's supposed to be funny, happy, fluffy, and not serious because it's hard to find those kinds of multi-chaptered fanfics nowadays. Almost all the stories on this site are full of angst and drama. :( Ick! Be warned that my English is horrible. That's why I had to get four betas! LOL XD Don't judge too harshly on the bad grammar and spelling mistakes. **

**DEDICATION:** THE FIRST CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO **Rai Zuka Namikaze** FOR BEING THE **FIRST REVIEWER OF Sakura and Sasuke's Tutoring Sessions**. Rai Zuka Namikaze, I will FOREVER cherish your review. ^_^ Thank you!

The prologue and chapter one was beta'd by **TheWheelofFate**, so I take absolutely no responsibility for any mistakes**. Blame Chelsea!** Teehee! JK. –insert cyber hug– Thanks Chels! God bless!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

…

**~Sakura and Sasuke's Tutoring Sessions~**

**Prologue: How It Began**

XXXXX

**NORMAL P.O.V.**

"Hey, Uchiha-san!"

Twelve-year-old Sasuke felt heat creep up the back of his neck when he heard the familiar voice call out for him. He scowled at the uncomfortable feeling of his stomach flipping. _"Maybe it was something I ate?" _he thought. Pressing the pause button on his controller, Sasuke peered over his shoulder to look at his pink-haired friend standing in his doorway.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked, confused as to why his classmate was in his bedroom.

"Oh, I just came by to return your video game. _Deathly Knights_ was so cool! I stayed up all night playing it. Thanks for lending it to me, Uchiha-san." Sakura smiled, adjusting her glasses and pushing away her long bangs. The eleven-year-old girl came to sit down next to him on the leather couch, placing the game in-between them.

"You're welcome," the young Uchiha responded, slightly pouting. He hated that she was so formal with him when she called him 'Uchiha-san'. He thought they were supposed to be friends! Sure, they weren't exactly _close _friends, but still friends nonetheless. They've known each other since kindergarten, for goodness sake!

Something laying haphazardly on Sasuke's bedroom floor caught Sakura's eye. She leaned down to pick up the object and found it to be a video game titled _Dragon Blade_.

"I bet I could kick your butt at this game," Sakura stated arrogantly, holding up the cover.

"Tch, no you can't," scoffed Sasuke.

"Yes, I can!"

"No, you can't!"

"Uh huh!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Sasuke-sama," a female voice interrupted. The two seventh graders whipped their heads around to find one of the Uchiha maids standing in the doorway. She continued, "Your parents have requested your presence in Fugaku-sama's study." Sasuke dismissed the maid with a wave of his hand. The servant bowed deeply before departing.

"Your parents are home?" asked Sakura, surprised. Only on rare occasions did the owner of the multi-billion dollar Uchiha Corporation and his wife pay a visit to their youngest son, Sasuke, who practically grew up parentless. The maids and butlers who worked in the Uchiha mansion had taken care of him all his life.

"Aa," Sasuke replied. The twelve-year-old boy's expression was impassive, but after knowing him since she was four, Sakura could clearly see the look of dejection and hurt in his eyes.

Sure, Sasuke loved his parents and would never doubt their love for him, but he couldn't get over the sense of abandonment and loneliness that scarred him. Sasuke's parents came home only a handful of times every year because of how busy they were.

The eleven-year-old, pink-haired girl reached over and placed her tiny hand on top of his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Sasuke quickly retracted his hand as if her touch burned. He protectively clutched his tingling hand to his chest, avoiding all eye-contact. Sakura, realizing what she had just done, blushed heavily and scooted away from her dark-haired crush.

"Annoying," he muttered under his breath, glaring at his hand. The young boy was confused and frustrated. Why did he always feel... _funny_ whenever Sakura touched him? Maybe it was an effect of girl cooties?

"Did your brother come as well?" asked Sakura, wanting to break the awkward silence.

"No, he's still at boarding school," the raven-haired boy answered. He hadn't seen Itachi in months. His parents always had problems disciplining him, so they sent the rebellious Uchiha heir to a strict boarding school to teach him a lesson.

Sasuke hopped off of the couch and grabbed a video game from his shelf. Tossing it at Sakura, he simply said, "Here. Take it."

"_Condemned_." Sakura read the cover aloud, adjusting her glasses. She looked back at her classmate with a smile on her face. "Arigatou! I'll return it as soon as I'm done."

"Hn." Sasuke nodded his head, smirking as he poked her bang-covered forehead. The eleven-year-old girl clutched the video game to her chest and skipped towards the door.

"Bye, Uchiha-san!" she called over her shoulder.

He winced.

"Bye..."

**-0-0-0-**

**In Uchiha Fugaku's Study**

"Sasuke, your mother and I have something very important to tell you." Fugaku leaned back in his large, black leather chair. The huge room with shelves full of books and files echoed his voice.

"What is it, otou-sama?" Sasuke's brows furrowed. He folded his arms on the big wooden desk that separated him and his father.

Fugaku got straight to the point: "Itachi has renounced his title as the heir. Since you are next in line, the duty of being head of the Uchiha clan now falls on your shoulders."

"You mean that..." Sasuke trailed off, his thoughts muddled.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun." Mikoto, who was standing behind his chair, placed her delicate hand on her youngest son's shoulder. "You are the new Uchiha heir."

Sasuke's onyx eyes widened.

"Do you accept the title?" Fugaku asked. Sasuke nodded slowly, unable to form words in his shocked state. Mikoto smiled brightly, leaning down to kiss his forehead. Sasuke made a face, wiping off the area with the back of his hand. Fugaku hid a smile at the exchange.

Clearing his throat, the Uchiha CEO said, "Now that it's settled, there are certain responsibilities and traditions that come with being the heir that you should be aware of."

"Such as?"

The two parents exchanged hesitant looks.

"Well..."

**-0-0-0-**

**A Few Weeks Later...**

"She looks sad," Sakura whispered, ceasing her trek down the Uchiha mansion's hallway.

"Who?" a confused Sasuke asked. He shifted the cover of _Condemned _ that Sakura had just returned to his other hand, as he stopped along side his classmate. The bespectacled girl pointed down the hallway. The newly appointed Uchiha heir followed her gaze.

There stood Mikoto gazing up at a portrait of Fugaku and herself which hung on the wall. She raised her hand to lightly trace the frame. Sasuke's mother let out a depressed sigh and her shoulders slumped.

"She's lonely. She misses your father," Sakura observed. Sasuke nodded his head.

It was one of those few times where Mikoto didn't accompany Fugaku on his business trips. Uchiha Fugaku was a workaholic who did most of his business out of the country, and Mikoto tagged along on her husband's trips almost all of the time. Mikoto tried to stay home with Sasuke as much as possible, but Fugaku would drag her along on his business endeavors, leaving little Sasuke in the Uchiha servants' care. Though he would never admit it, Fugaku was heavily reliant on his wife and needed her by his side, or else he would go crazy from all the stress. She kept him grounded, and vice versa.

"It's okay though. Mother won't be lonely for long. She's leaving tonight to meet with my father in Okinawa before they head out of the country. She'll be gone... again. I guess that's the downside to marrying an Uchiha heir."

"I would never marry an Uchiha heir," Sakura stated out of the blue, adjusting her glasses.

"W-What?" Sasuke was caught completely off guard by her statement. The Uchiha heirloom that his mother had recently given him thumped against his chest when he turned his body sharply to face Sakura. Sakura had been there when Sasuke received the heirloom. The heirloom was a necklace. It was a silver chain with a beautiful silver ring used as the pendant. The ring was engraved with the Uchiha crest, an uchiwa fan. Simple yet elegant.

"Your mommy barely gets to spend time with you, and when she does, she misses your daddy because he's away." Sakura gestured to the Uchiha matriarch. "I would never want to be in her position. I would never want to go through that."

Sasuke felt like someone kicked him in the gut. His hand instinctively reached up to clutch the ring that rested against his chest.

"So you'd never marry an Uchiha heir?"

"Yup." Sakura nodded her head, not realizing that her answer brought distress to the twelve-year-old boy standing beside her.

"Hn."

Sasuke tucked the necklace into his collar. He didn't want to look at it.

"Well, I should get going," Sakura said. "Bye!"

"Bye..." Sasuke muttered, touching her forehead with his index and middle finger. He turned around and headed towards his room.

The eleven-year-old Haruno skipped down the grand hallway and into the large entry way. The butler held the door open for her as she made her way out of the mansion. The doors closed behind her and she sat down on the marble steps, waiting for her chauffer to drive her back home.

Sakura brought a hand up to her forehead where Sasuke had touched her. She smiled.

"But to be with you Sasuke-kun," she whispered to herself, "I'd go through anything. No matter what the cost."

**-0-0-0-**

**The Next Day At School**

"He's so dreamy!"

"I heard he likes girls with long hair. I'm never going to cut my hair ever again!"

"Sasuke-kun is so cute!"

The group of seventh and eighth grade girls squealed simultaneously. They all were ogling at the resident heartthrob of Konoha Private Elementary School, Uchiha Sasuke. The said boy was sitting alone on the playground's swing set. His best friends—Hyuuga Neji, Uzumaki Naruto, and Nara Shikamaru—were playing soccer nearby. His friends noticed Sasuke was in a bad mood, so they thought it would be best to not bother him.

"What's wrong with Sasuke?" asked a twelve-year-old Yamanaka Ino, gesturing to the newly appointed Uchiha heir. Kunai Tenten and Hyuuga Hinata, Sakura's two other best friends, just shrugged their shoulders and resumed their card game. Sakura frowned as she watched Sasuke sit by himself, fiddling with the silver chain around his neck.

"I don't know what's wrong with Uchiha-san," Sakura stated.

"Sakura, for goodness sake! Stop calling him 'Uchiha-san'. Isn't he your friend? Why are you so formal when addressing him?" inquired Ino.

"Because I don't want him to think that I'm one of _them_," Sakura responded, pointing to the group of giggling fangirls. The blonde-haired girl rolled her eyes, pushing her best friend towards Sasuke.

"You should go talk to him to see what's wrong," Ino urged the younger girl. Eleven-year-old Sakura blushed hotly and shook her head. She continued to protest, but Ino ignored her excuses. Sakura finally caved in. She approached the dark-haired boy.

"Hi," she greeted, fiddling with her glasses. Sasuke tensed when he heard her voice. Tucking the necklace back into his shirt, he looked up at Sakura.

"Is something wrong?" questioned Sakura, concerned.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted. He stood up and walked away without saying a word.

Sakura was shocked. That was the first time he had ever avoided her.

But little did Sakura know that Sasuke would continue to avoid her... for the next five years.

**End Prologue**

**-0-0-0-**

**Chapter One: Sakura's Problem**

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**SAKURA'S P.O.V. (Monday: Morning)**

I walked down the halls of Konoha Private High School, hurrying to my first period class. Out of nowhere, someone bumped into me, sending me hurtling towards the ground. I quickly spread my arms out to catch myself before my face became a friend with the floor. The fall caused my thick glasses to slide off. Without my corrective eyewear, my vision instantly blurred.

"Watch where you're going, four-eyed freak!" someone called out as I frantically searched for my glasses. I would've flipped them off, but I was too busy trying to find my glasses. I finally found them and quickly placed the glasses on my face after a few minutes of searching. I sighed and dusted myself off. I observed my outfit: a baggy sweater and jeans. How flattering.

The bell rang and I ran to my calculus class.

**-0-0-0-**

I was sitting in my first period calculus class. The class was filled with many of my fellow Seniors. My seat was in the front row, situated directly in front of Uchiha Sasuke, the school heartthrob. I was constantly receiving death-threats from Sasuke's fangirls because of the stupid teacher's seating arrangement.

Sasuke was undeniably the hottest guy in the whole school. He was the captain of the basketball team and he was also part of the soccer team. His family owned the multi-billion dollar company, Uchiha Corporation. Not only was he athletic and rich, but he also had the brains. He was ranked the second highest student in our class, me being the first. His dark, bad-boy side attracted the attention of almost all the female population of our school. Though he had a lot of fangirls, he's never had a girlfriend. I found that fact extremely weird. He could have ANY girl he wants, yet he chose to remain single.

Sasuke and I had met in kindergarten. I was four at that time while he was five, like most of the kids in our class. I was younger than a majority of my classmate by a year. My parents saw that I was more advanced than most kids my age, so they placed me in school earlier than expected.

Sasuke and I actually used to be friends, but for some reason he stopped talking to me during seventh grade. Our friendship didn't really qualify as best friend material, but we were kind of close. We would occasionally talk to each other, play together on the playground, and visit each other's homes. He also had a weird habit of poking me in the forehead. I never really understood why, though. A small smile graced my face when I reminisced about the times Sasuke and I shared. Sasuke's actually really sweet and caring beneath his cold exterior. I developed a HUGE crush on him over the years of getting to know him. Thank goodness only my best friends knew about it...

I didn't want him to know that his avoidance bothered me, so I didn't question why he started to ignore me. We just drifted apart.

I had just started on the homework Kakashi-sensei assigned the class when I felt like I was being watched. I turned slightly in my seat and scanned the room. Right behind me, Naruto—Sasuke's best friend—laughed and slapped Sasuke on the back. The dark-haired basketball captain just ignored Naruto, his head buried in his folded arms that rested on his desk.

'_Weird..'._

The seventeen-year-old blonde diverted his gaze from Sasuke's hunched form and caught me staring at them. Naruto bent his head forward to whisper something into Sasuke's ear.

Sasuke suddenly bolted up into a sitting position and looked directly at me, staring with wide eyes. He had this... _weird_ expression on his face. I whipped my head away and resumed working on the assignment, embarrassed to be caught staring.

_'Was it just me or was Sasuke blushing?'_

I quickly shook away that ridiculous thought. Sasuke NEVER blushes.

"Sasuke and Sakura, please come to my desk. I need to discuss something with you two," Kakashi-sensei commanded. Naruto, Neji, and Shikamaru started to snicker and sent the seventeen-year-old Uchiha knowing looks. Sasuke's fangirls glared at me and started gossiping amongst themselves.

I hesitantly rose from my seat and approached the teacher's desk. My head was bowed as I fiddled with the hem of my bulky sweater. Sasuke came to stand next to me with a stoic look on his face; his hands were shoved in his pockets.

Kakashi-sensei started talking: "Sasuke, your calculus grade is extremely low. If you continue to do poorly, you will have to be dropped from the basketball and soccer teams. Your parents notified the school, requesting I assign you a tutor. Since Sakura is my best student, I thought if would be best if she was your tutor." Kakashi-sensei looked me straight in the eye. "Sakura, are you willing to be Sasuke's tutor? He desperately needs your help."

My heart was beating a hundred miles per hour as I started to sweat profusely. _**I WAS BEING ASKED TO TUTOR SASUKE! **_

Any normal girl would've jumped at the chance to tutor the infamous Uchiha Sasuke, but I just wanted the ground to swallow me whole. I didn't want to spend _any _time alone with him! He probably already thought I was a freak! There's no need to make him think I'm even more weird than what he already thought!

After spacing out for about five minutes due to the intense shock, I was about to decline when Sasuke leaned towards me and whispered in my ear, "Sakura, I can't afford to get kicked off of my teams. I _need_ you."

I glanced at the teenage Uchiha and was surprised to see that he had a slight look of desperation etched onto his face, instead of his usual blank, uncaring expression. I mentally sighed in defeat. He really needed my help, and I just couldn't turn him down. I hated being nice...

"F-Fine, I'll tutor U-Uchiha-san," I stuttered out like in a Hinata-like fashion.

Was I hearing things or did Sasuke just sigh?

Kakashi-sensei smiled behind his mask and said, "Okay, It's settled. In order for Sasuke to pass my class, he must ace the test that is coming up next week. Sakura, you are to tutor Sasuke everyday after school. Is that clear?"

"H-Hai." Ugh, I've been hanging out with Hinata too much!

Kakashi-sensei dismissed us from our little discussion and let us return to our desks.

I nervously sat back down in my seat. I was trying my best to ignore the enormous amount of death glares I was receiving from Sasuke's fangirls. His fan club was going to kill me if word got out that I was going to be tutoring Sasuke! I just had to make sure they never found out.

Kakashi-sensei suddenly announced, "Sakura, make sure you go over the power rule with Sasuke during your tutoring sessions. He seems to have a lot of trouble with that."

A deafening silence fell upon the class until...

"_SHE'S_ GOING TO TUTOR _MY _SASUKE-KUN?"

"WHY IS SHE TUTORING HIM? I CAN TUTOR HIM BETTER THAN SHE CAN!"

There were many other insults and death-threats which originated from Sasuke's fangirls. They were enraged that I was going to tutor their beloved Sasuke-kun.

I let out a loud groan and slumped in my seat.

'_I am so dead...'_

**-0-0-0-**

I was banging my head against my locker while my friends were trying to comfort and console me. I couldn't believe I was going to tutor SASUKE!

"Relax, Sakura!" Tenten commanded. "What's the big deal anyway? You're just going to tutor him!"

"What's the big deal? I'll tell you what's the big deal! He might find out that I like him! I could barely talk in front of him and I'm pretty sure I'm going to do something stupid to make it painfully _obvious _I'm crushing on him! Plus, I have his fangirls annoying the heck out of me!" I screamed back, though not loud enough for the other students to hear.

"What are you talking about? The two of you used to be friends, and you had absolutely no trouble talking to him before," Tenten pointed out.

"That was five years ago! Things have changed. Nowadays, I get nervous around him and I'm reduced to a stuttering mess in front of Sasuke."

"A-Actually, you just t-talked to Sasuke l-last school year," Hinata corrected. I raised a questioning brow.

"Junior year. You and Sasuke were partners for a class project," Tenten clarified on Hinata's behalf. Tenten mumbled to herself, "And then there was that time when you guy got paired up in health class during sophomore year..."

"Forehead, you fail to see what a great opportunity this is! You get to spent some _'special alone time' _with Sasuke." Ino winked suggestively.

Tenten and I glared at Ino. "Not helping!" I bellowed at Ino.

Ino pouted and looked somewhat offended. She was about to retort, but she suddenly clamped her mouth shut and peered over my shoulder. Ino, Tenten, and Hinata were staring right behind me with surprised, bewildered looks on their faces.

Someone cleared their throat. I turned around to see...

Sasuke standing right in front of me! He gazed at me with his dazzling, onyx orbs.

I suddenly found the floor very interesting...

"Sakura, meet me at the school gates after classes are over," Sasuke stated in his monotone voice.

"S-Sure, Uchiha-san." I stammered out.

Did Sasuke's eye just twitch? That's weird.

"Alright, later." Sasuke nodded his head before turning on his heel and heading towards his friends.

Then it suddenly hit me.

I'm going to go to Sasuke's house... alone. I'm going to be tutoring him... _alone_. It's only going to be me and him... **alone**!

_'I think I'm gonna puke.'_

_End of first chapter_

XXXXX

**Author's Note: **Yay! Now it has a prologue! PLEASE REVIEW AND LEAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS ABOUT THIS STORY!


	2. Sasuke's Secret

**KASELEHLIE! (**that's how you say "hi!" in my language**) **This chapter was beta'd by **SilenceIsTheKey**, so if there are any mistakes... BLAME HER! LOL! Jokes ;D Thanks Manni!

**DEDICATION: **THE SECOND CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO **xAlternativexMusicxGirlx **FOR BEING THE FIRST PERSON TO REVIEW THE REVISED CHAPTERS! **THANKS VANESSA! :D**

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

...

**Chapter Two: Sasuke's Secret**

XXXXX

**SASUKE'S P.O.V. (Monday: Morning)**

"Hey, teme!" I heard Naruto call out.

Closing my locker with one hand whilst slinging my backpack's strap over my shoulder, I turned around to see my three best friends (not that I'd ever admit it) approaching.

"Ready for the soccer game on Friday?" I asked Neji. He nodded. Neji was the captain of our high school's soccer team. The four of us had been in the school's soccer and basketball team since freshmen year.

We started walking towards our first period class, which was calculus. I saw Shikamaru roll his eyes and mutter, "Troublesome...," when everyone in the hallway moved out of our way. We were all used to being stared at, but it got annoying sometimes; that was the downside of being popular.

"Sasuke!"

The four of us turned around to see our soccer and basketball coach, Gai-sensei, coming towards us. Gai-sensei flashed us a blinding smile. "Hello my youthful basketball captain!" I glared at my demented coach. I wanted to break his neck whenever he referred to me as 'youthful'. Gai-sensei continued, "I just wanted to tell you that your team will be playing against Mist High next week, on Wednesday."

"Hn."

"As team captain, I expect you to help your teammates prepare for the game." With that said, Gai-sensei friggin' _skipped down_ the hallway. Why they let that freak show become a teacher, I'll never know.

"This sucks! I can't believe they overlapped soccer and basketball season!" Naruto complained. The blonde seventeen-year-old's whines increased as the four of us continued on our way to calculus class.

"Shut it, dobe." I smacked him over the head. He hurled curses at me in response and continued to pester me. I sighed in annoyance.

"I swear, if you don't shut up, I'm going to tell Hinata that you—"

"I DO NOT LIKE HER!" Naruto immediately cut me off, his ears turning bright red.

"Who said anything about you liking her?" Shikamaru, Neji, and I gave him leveled looks.

He instantly shut up, ducking his head to hide the fact that he was blushing badly.

We reached our classroom and each of us headed towards our assigned seats. Naruto and I sat next to each other in the second row. Neji and Shikamaru sat somewhere in the middle of the classroom.

I heard high pitched squeals from behind. Peering over my shoulder, I saw some giggling girls huddled together. They were all staring at me. I glared daggers at them, but that just caused them to squeal even louder and blush. Some even had the audacity to blow kisses my way.

Bile rose to my throat, but I resisted the urge to puke in disgust.

A lot of girls tend to be... attracted to me and I don't really understand why. I'd never given any signs that I would reciprocate their feelings. I don't talk much and I've been deemed as anti-social by my three friends. My so-called 'fangirls' always annoy me and get on my nerves. I wish they would just leave me alone. No matter how much I ignore them or glare at them when they come too close, they just keep on coming and pissing me off! Apparently, acting like a jerk and saying, "Get away from me or else I'll get a restraining order," is a turn on. Girls are weird... How come they can't just get it through their heads that I'm just not interested?

I fiddled with silver ring that was attached to the chain around my neck, observing it.

Everyone tells me how lucky I am. I'm popular (though I couldn't care less), I have the money, the so called "looks", skills on the court (hell yeah), the brains, and I could get any girl I want.

Well, _almost_ any girl...

I have a secret. I sort of have a... crush. My three best friends would give me the 'what the hell?' look whenever I claim it's just a crush. Naruto would say, "Teme, what you're feeling isn't just a simple 'crush'. I think you're in love."

I'm not sure if I'm in love, but I know that I have feelings for her. You must be wondering who the girl is, right? She's none other than—

"Haruno Sakura!" yelled Kakashi-sensei, who was taking roll call. My stomach flipped.

"Present," the sixteen-year-old pink-haired teen answered.

—Haruno Sakura, the school nerd. She was ranked number one in our class (me being ranked second). Sakura is a year younger than me, and most of the class, because she had started school early. She always had her head buried in a thick book and tends to be accident prone. She's kind of shy and a little quiet, but she can't seem to shut up when she's with her best friends: Yamanaka Ino, Kunai Tenten, and Hyuuga Hinata.

Sakura is known as the 'geek' of school, but I never did understand how she fits under that stereotype. I think she's dedicated, hardworking, smart, beauti—Uh... I... Um... Ahem! Anyways...

Sakura was the ONLY girl that didn't try to get my attention. To be honest, I think my attention is the _last_ thing she wants... That fact just makes me wanna punch something. I mean, COME ON! Why does Sakura, the ONE girl whom I actually _wish_ was a fangirl, shows absolutely **no** signs of liking me? It's beyond frustrating. Life is cruel...

I know what you guys must be thinking. You guys think that my feelings for Sakura aren't real and I just see her as a challenge. You think I'm just a spoiled brat who wants what he can't have.

But I swear, if you ever—I mean _**EVER**_ put 'Sakura' and 'just a challenge' in the same sentence: I. Will. **Kill**. You.

I've known Sakura since the time we first met at the playground swings in kindergarten. Ever since the first time we met, I always felt... _weird_ around her, but I had no clue why. Later on, I realized I had feelings for her, but I finally came to terms with those confusing feelings in high school.

Sakura and I actually used to be friends. The two of us didn't exactly qualify as best friends, but we were close. She was actually my first female friend. I would even invite her over to my home to play video games and vice versa. She was a really kind girl, who was too nice for her own good. Sakura was one of the only people I could open myself up to. I got to know her over the years and eventually fell for her... Hard.

I stopped hanging out with her in seventh grade because I noticed that whenever she was around, I felt... strange. Whenever she gazed at me with her bright, green eyes, I felt like there was a swarm of butterflies in my stomach. All she had to do was look my way, and my face would get all hot, and my cheeks would burn. When she smiled at me, my heart felt like it was trying to escape because of how hard it was slamming against my chest. You don't even want to know how my body reacted when she stuck her tongue out...

There was also another very important reason why I stopped hanging out with her, but I'll explain that later. **(1)**

Just to set the record straight: I _do not_ want to like her. I still don't, but _apparently _I don't have a say in the matter. If I didn't develop these stupid feelings for Sakura, I would still be friends with her and none of this bull would've happened. She made me feel awkward, with all the confusing and frustrating feelings she stirred within me, so I did what I thought was best; I started to avoid her. Naruto, Neji, and Shikamaru dubbed it as my "denial stage". During that time, I just wanted to get over her. I _needed_ to get over her.

My plan didn't work at all! After I stopped hanging out with her, my feelings grew even stronger. Plus, the absence of her presence in my life made me more... _temperamental_ than usual. So, after years of denial, threats from my friends, and building up my courage, I was finally going to confess to her about my feelings.

Lifting my gaze off of my necklace, I looked up to stare at the pink-haired girl who sat directly in front of me. For some reason, the teachers always seated her near my desk. I don't mind. That just gives me an excuse to check her out without her knowin—Err... Uh... I mean... that way I could... watch over her? Yeah, that's what I meant. Sakura tends to be picked on by most of the girls in our class. Tch, they're just jealous that she's smarter than them.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. I looked to my right where Naruto was sitting.

"So how's operation G.S.T.T.S.S.H.C.F.T.H.H.H.F?" Naruto inquired, only speaking loud enough for me to hear. Operation 'Get Sakura To Tutor Sasuke So He Could Finally Tell Her How He Feels' or 'G.S.T.T.S.S.H.C.F.T.H.H.H.F' as Naruto had named it, was a plan Shikamaru came up with for me to finally confess to Sakura.

The plan was simple: I purposely dropped my grade and showed my parents my midterm slip. My parents contacted the school and demanded that the teacher assign me the top student (who, coincidently, happens to be Sakura) as my tutor.

Now, all I needed to do was to make sure Sakura agreed to be my tutor.

I had my doubts about this plan. The last time Sakura and I had spoken was last year, when we had been paired up to do a school project. A lot could change in a span of a couple months; what if she's not the same girl I used to be friends with? What if she's not the same Sakura I fell in love wit—Um.. I-I mean... If she's not the same Sakura I cared about?

When I voiced my concerns, Shikamaru said that this plan is perfect, because: A) If get to know her again and don't like her (which I desperately hoped would happen), I could just raise my grade back to its usual standard and never regret not telling her my feelings and B) If I get to know her again and she's still the same girl I knew and cared about, then I could finally let out my pent up sexual frustratio—I mean... I could finally _confess my feelings._

I glanced at Naruto. "It's all set up. All I need to do is to get Sakura to agree to tutor me."

My eyes flickered to the pink-haired girl sitting in front of me. She was hunched over her desk, studiously working on the calculus assignment Kakashi-sensei wrote on the board.

_She always looks so hot when she's concentrating..._

A loud, "Psst!" abruptly pulled me out of my reverie. I let out an irritated sigh and faced the blonde idiot, raising a brow in question. Naruto whispered, "Dude, if you want your secret 'crush' (Naruto did air quotations) to remain a secret, I'd stop giving Sakura that complete 'love-struck idiot' look you always give her, when you think no one's looking."

I felt heat creep up on the back of my neck.

"Dobe, shut up!" I hissed. I buried my head into my folded arms that rested on my desk, trying to hide my blush. The dobe just laughed like an idiot and slapped my back.

Remind me... Why am I friends with the likes of him again?

Naruto leaned over to me and said quietly, "Teme, I guess today is your lucky day! Sakura is staring at you."

That statement made me bolt into a sitting position. I nearly got whiplash from jerking my head upwards so fast. I choked on my own spit when my eyes locked with Sakura's green orbs.

Shit! Sakura's staring at me! What the hell do I do?

_'Look away! Dang it! Don't look at her!' _I screamed at myself, though I couldn't find the will power to tear my eyes away from hers. Hey, it's not my fault her eyes are pretty!

During my internal panic attack, I failed to notice that my face had turned an even brighter shade of pink. Sakura shot me a confused look (though I couldn't really see her face, because it was covered by her bangs and glasses) before turning away. I mentally sighed in relief. That was close.

"Sasuke and Sakura, please come to my desk. I need to discuss something with you two," Kakashi-sensei announced. Naruto, Neji, and Shikamaru started snickering and giving me knowing looks. Those idiots... I ignored everyone else's reactions.

Sakura and I stood in front of Kakashi-sensei's desk. Sakura's head was bowed and she was fiddling her sweater. I tried not to think that she looked cute. I stood next to her, with my hands in my pockets.

Kakashi-sensei started speaking, "Sasuke, your calculus grade is extremely low. If you continue to do poorly, you will have to be dropped from the basketball and soccer team. Your parents notified the school, requesting I assign you a tutor. Since Sakura is my best student, I thought it would be best if she was your tutor." Kakashi-sensei's unmasked eye zoned in on the nervous pinkette. "Sakura, are you willing to be Sasuke's tutor? He desperately needs your help."

Sakura didn't respond for a while and I started to go into panic mode. What if she said no? Then my whole plan would be ruined!

I bent my head and whispered in her ear, "Sakura, I can't afford to get kicked off of my teams. I _need_ you."

I was fighting back a blush at the double meaning of my words. If only she knew...

Her gaze flickered towards me, surprise etched onto her face. My composure slipped a little as I looked at her pleadingly.

"F-Fine, I'll tutor U-Uchiha-san." She stuttered.

I mentally kicked myself for letting out a sigh of relief.

Kakashi-sensei's visible eye crinkled to show he was smiling behind his mask, "Okay, it's settled. In order for Sasuke to pass my class, he must ace the test that is coming up next week. Sakura, you are to tutor Sasuke every day after school. Is that clear?"

"H-Hai," Sakura agreed. I did _not_ find her stuttering adorable.

Okay, maybe a little...

_'Score!'_ I cheered internally.

Kakashi waved his hand in a dismissing manner and allowed us to return to our seats.

I knocked knuckles with Naruto after I had sat down, signaling that Sakura had agreed to be my tutor. Neji and Shikamaru smirked at me from their desks before returning to their homework. I pulled out my earphones to drown out my classmates' noise and closed my eyes. I smirked.

_Sakura... prepare to fall for me._

**Later on...**

The bell rang and I quickly headed over to my next class.

'_How come I feel like I'm forgetting something?_' I thought to myself. I racked my brain for a while before it came to me. Shit! I forgot to tell Sakura the details about our tutoring session! I started to scan the hallway for Sakura when I spotted her near her locker. She was surrounded by her best friends. The sixteen-year-old Haruno was yelling at that Yamanaka girl that Shikamaru constantly complains about (Tch, and he says that _I'm_ in denial...).

I quietly approached the group of arguing girls and stood right behind Sakura. Apparently, Sakura was unaware of my presence, because, she still hadn't turned around. Her friends finally noticed me and immediately stopped their conversation. Stuffing my hands into my pockets, I felt awkward when her friends started to gawk at me with shocked expressions. I got tired of waiting for Sakura to turn around, so I cleared my throat to alert her of my presence. Sakura spun around on her heel.

As soon as she caught sight of me, she quickly averted her gaze to the ground.

Okay. I was aware she didn't find me attractive, but I couldn't be _that_ horrible to look at!

_...Could I? _

Ugh! She is so ANNOYING! I can't believe this _girl_, who's been deemed a 'walking fashion victim' by all the girls in our school, was making **me** feel _insecure_ about my looks! I calmed myself down a bit before talking.

"Sakura, meet me at the school gates after classes are over," I stated while trying to keep my cool.

"S-Sure, Uchiha-san," she stammered out. I felt my eye twitch in frustration. That's another thing that irritated me immensely; she always called me 'Uchiha-san'. Why couldn't she just call me 'Sasuke-kun' like every other girl? _Annoying..._

"Alright, later," I backed away and headed over to my friends, who were hanging out near Naruto's locker.

I came to stand beside them and leaned against the lockers, crossing my arms over my chest.

"Dude," Naruto nudged Neji, "did you hear that Keanu is planning on asking out Tenten?"

Neji responded by punching Naruto in the face. Hard.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?" Naruto yelled at the seventeen-year-old Hyuuga, who stormed away without a word. The blonde idiot muttered curses under his breath as he clutched his aching jaw. Shikamaru yawned and shook his head at Naruto's stupidity. I ignored them.

I started to mentally go over the preparations for my tutoring session with Sakura when I finally realized something; my parents and brother were out of the country. That meant...

I'm going to be at my house with Sakura... alone. It's only gonna be me and her... alone. If I snap and lose control, no one is there to stop me because we're...

ALONE!

_End of second chapter_

XXXXX

**Author's notes:**

**(1) **The reason was hinted in the prologue. It will be revealed LATER on.

The revised third chapter will be posted soon. Yeah, I'm revising/editing all the chapters. I hope you guys like the changes :) It's going to be ten times more fluffy ^_^ I'm adding more scenes, but not deleting any. And don't worry. There's BARELY going to be any drama. It's still pretty plot less (just like before).

**Background information:**

Sakura and Hinata: aged 16 (I have a friend named Judelle who's freakishly smart. She's only fifteen and she's a senior.)

Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, Tenten, Ino, Shikamaru: aged 17

PLEASE REVIEW!

Kalahngan (Thank you),

Teddy


	3. Tutoring Session: Sakura's Side

**CityGal45 **beta'd this chapter, so if you see _any_ mistakes... you know who to blame ;D Lol! Just playin'. Thanks a bunch Priscilla! Dude, I owe you big time!

**DEDICATION: **THE THIRD CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO **Cynessie **and** Maylin Haruna**! I APPRECIATE ALL THE SUPPORT AND IN-DEPTH REVIEWS YOU TWO HAVE GIVEN ME SINCE I STARTED WRITING THIS STORY! **Thank you!**

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

…

**Chapter Three: Tutoring Session (Sakura's Side)**

XXXXX

**SAKURA'S P.O.V. (Monday: Afternoon)**

'_Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!_' were the only words running through my mind as I mentally panicked. I was totally freaking out!

My eyes darted nervously around the computer lab as I fidgeted in my seat. Glancing at the wall clock above my computer instructor's head, I nearly cried in despair when I saw that class was ending in just a couple minutes.

Today was Monday. The calculus test Sasuke was suppose to ace was next Friday. That meant I had to tutor him for **twelve days**! Somebody, just shoot me and put me out of my misery! I didn't want to spend any one-on-one time alone with Sasuke!

And I knew for a _fact_ we were going to be alone at his house. Well, it's more like a mansion...

_**Start Flashback**_

**(Saturday: about 10:00 o'clock in the morning)**

Excitement and nervousness filled my system as I sat along side eight-year-old Sasuke and Naruto in the backseat of one of the Uchiha's many cars. Sasuke had his chauffer pick up Naruto and I so that we could spend the day at the Uchiha mansion. I brought a hand up to bite on my nails, a nervous habit. This would be the first time I'd visit Sasuke's home. Sasuke invited us over to his house to play a new video game he recently bought called _Ultimate Ninja_.

When I would talk about the latest video games with my best friends, they would give me weird looks and have no idea what the heck I was talking about. Even Tenten, who was somewhat on the boyish side, wasn't into gaming. Sasuke and I shared a love for video games and we would spend hours discussing our favorite games. Sometimes I felt like only Sasuke truly understood me.

Naruto didn't like video games as much as we did, but he tagged along anyways just to hang out with us.

I readjusted the pink ribbon on top of my head. Sasuke had just given it to me the day before at school. He said that I shouldn't cover my eyes with my bangs. Did that mean he thought my eyes were pretty...?

Ugh, who was I kidding? Someone like Sasuke would _never_ be interested in someone like me. He was the cutest boy in our class for goodness sake!

I stole a glance at Sasuke. He and Naruto were having a private conversation, keeping their voices hushed. Apparently, Sasuke didn't like what Naruto had said because Sasuke smacked the back of Naruto's head. I giggled when Naruto started to cuss at Sasuke.

They both quieted down and snapped their heads in my direction, looking startled. Why was Sasuke staring at me like that? I raised an eyebrow in question.

Sasuke quickly turned his head towards Naruto so that his raven bangs covered his face. Naruto looked at Sasuke's face (which I couldn't see because from where I was sitting) and started laughing.

I'll never understand boys...

The car came to a stop when we finally reached Sasuke house—Err, scratch that—HUGE _mansion_. It was four stories tall! It looked like a castle from my storybooks!

"_This_ is your house?" I yelled, gapping at his house. I knew he was rich, but I didn't know he was _that_ rich!

"Hn," Sasuke grunted as he led us into his mansion. I stared in amazement at the interior of Sasuke's house. There was a large crystal chandelier, _very_ expensive-looking furniture, and a large marble staircase with golden railings. He led us to an _elevator _and pushed a button that took us up to the fourth floor. When the elevator doors open, I was shocked to see how many rooms the mansion had. I thought Sasuke's family only consisted of four people! I was used to being around extravagant things, but this was just... Wow!

My mommy and daddy were pretty wealthy since they were both world renowned doctors, but not nearly as rich as Sasuke's parents. In fact, _everyone_ at Kohona Private Elementary School was rich and came from influential families. Neji and Hinata's family internationally known trading company called Hyuga Corporation. Naruto's father was governor and his mother, a chef, owned a chain of famous restaurants. Shikamaru's father was the head of Japan's national security department called the Anbu Black Ops and his mother was a lawyer. Ino's father worked along side Shikamaru's father with the Black Ops and her mother owned a chain of stores that sold flower arrangements. Tenten's family owned a company that manufactures and sells weapons to militaries across the world and ancient weapons to collectors.

Sasuke brought us into his room. The three of us third graders made our way to the couch in front of a large flat-screen TV; it connected to a bunch of gaming consoles.

Sasuke and I sat at the opposite ends of the couch.

Naruto scowled at Sasuke and roughly pushed his best friend into the middle of the couch. Before Sasuke could protest, Naruto plopped down on the cushion and sat were Sasuke was formerly sitting.

The couch was kind of small so Sasuke and I were _touching_. I blushed heavily. This situation was more stressful than my seven-year-old heart could take.

Sasuke abruptly stood up and handed us controllers. I nearly squeal when Sasuke pressed the start button, completely forgetting about the awkward incident. I've been waiting to play _Ultimate Ninja_ for months! The game was so cool! The graphics were _amazing_!

We had been playing for two hours straight before Naruto started to complain, "I'm hungry! It's already lunchtime. I want ramen!" I barely spared him a glance. I was too focused on the game.

"You two are addicted! Teme, I'm going to go raid your kitchen," Naruto stated before he ran out of the room. Hours passed before Naruto returned, he plopped down on Sasuke's bed and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

I decided to start a conversation with Sasuke. "So... where is your family? I didn't see them when we were heading to your room," I asked while still focusing at the TV screen.

_Die ninja, die!_

"They're not home. My parents are constantly out of the country and my brother attends a boarding school. I only see them once in a while," Sasuke responded. I turned my eyes from the game to look at Sasuke. "Do you ever get lonely?" I inquired.

"Sometimes..." Sasuke shrugged.

I could tell that he was trying to keep his face completely expressionless, but the young Uchiha's eyes gave away his hidden feelings. He was... sad. I wanted to cheer him up. "You're lucky your parents aren't around all the time. My parents watch me like hawks! They're way too overprotective. I swear, I bet they hired someone to follow me here!" I exclaimed while suspiciously looking around.

Sasuke nudged me with his elbow and chuckled at my childish antics. I smiled to myself; it was one of the few times I've ever heard him laugh.

It was five o'clock in the afternoon when we finally reached the final level of _Ultimate Ninja_. In order to win, our characters had to defeat a demon named Orochimaru. That snake-man looked freaky.

The two of us were at the edge of the couch, pressing the controller's buttons like crazy. The anxiety was building up. Finally, Sasuke's character finished off Orochimaru with a blow to the heart using a kunai.

The words 'GAME COMPLETED!' flashed on the TV screen before the credits started to roll.

Sasuke and I leaped out of our seats and started jumping up and down (well, it was more like I was jumping and he just stood there smirking). We finally completed the game!

Without thinking, I turned to Sasuke and screamed "We did it, Sasuke-kun!" before planting a big, wet kiss his cheek. My short, seven-year-old arms impulsively wrapped around his shoulders and my face unconsciously buried itself in the crook of his neck.

It felt... nice.

Sasuke immediately stiffened in my embrace. Then, it finally hit me: '_I kissed_ _Sasuke's cheek! I was hugging him and I even called him 'Sasuke-kun'!'_

I let go of Sasuke as if his touch burned. I almost tripped as I quickly shuffled backwards in an attempt to get away from my crush. My eyes drifted to examine Sasuke's face, slightly scared to see the eight-year-old boy's reaction.

His entire face was **red**!

Sasuke just stood there frozen, unable to move or speak. His onyx eyes were open wide with shock and his mouth was hanging slightly open. The poor boy looked confused and scared.

Oh no! He was probably pissed at me! He _hates_ physical contact. He also _hates_ it when girls call him 'Sasuke-kun'. He probably thought I was a fangirl!

I bowed deeply, wincing. "I-I'm so sorry! I d-didn't mean to! I j-just got c-caught up in the m-moment! I-I'm sorry!" I apologized hurriedly before bolting out of his room and running out of the Uchiha mansion.

_**End Flashback**_

The memory caused me to groan and buried my head in my hands. I can't believe I kissed Sasuke, even though it was just on the cheek. After witnessing how he reacted, I vowed never to call him 'Sasuke-kun' ever again.

I avoided Sasuke after that incident for the whole week, which was difficult since we shared the same third grade classroom. I was too embarrassed to face him. While I was avoiding him, Sasuke started acting... _strange_.

During Monday of the next week, Sasuke approach me while I was swinging. I attempted to run away, but he grabbed me before I could bolt. I remembered how awkward I felt when the young Uchiha began speaking. He told me we should just forget it ever happened. He said that I shouldn't avoid him anymore because it wasn't a big deal and he wasn't mad at me.

_'He was so sweet...'_

The bell rang to signify the end of the school day. Sighing, I packed my stuff in my bag before slowly walking out of the computer lab. I strolled down the hall, trying to ignore all the glares I was receiving from Sasuke's fangirls. I was _so_ going to kill Kakashi-sensei for opening his big mouth...

I was shoving my textbooks into my locker when my best friends approached me.

"Hey, Forehead! Are you excited about your private tutoring session with Mr. Hottie?" Ino winked suggestively.

"Pig, I'm just tutoring him in calculus. It's no big deal. It's not as if I'm going to make a move or something," I scoffed, hiding the fact I was still panicking.

"Forehead, you got to be kidding me! You have to use this situation to your advantage!" ordered Ino.

"I think Ino i-is right. You s-should try to get closer to Sasuke," Hinata said quietly. "It's our Senior y-year and you might not get to s-see him again. I don't want to y-you living with regrets and 'what ifs'."

"Ino does have a point..." Tenten agreed, shocking me. Tenten _never_ agrees with Ino.

"Seriously? You guys think that _I_ have a shot with Sasuke?" I deadpanned while raising a skeptical eyebrow, "What do you guys suppose I should do?"

"Flirt!" Ino yelled as if it was the most obvious answer. A couple students in the hallway turned their heads glanced our way after Ino's outburst.

"Uh... I-I don't know how," I stammered, adjusting my glasses awkwardly.

"It's simple! Just give him a few light touches and compliment him. Just don't try anything drastic because he'd probably freak out," Ino stated in an all-knowing voice.

"Fine, I'll try... But no promises," I stated uncertainly, biting on my nails.

"Sasuke i-is probably w-waiting for you. You should g-go. Good l-luck Sakura!" Hinata encouraged.

"Yeah, I need it..." I replied, sighing.

I said my good-byes and headed outside. As I was making my way to the school's main gate, I heard a boy yell, "REMEMBER TO USE PROTECTION!" Twisting my head around, I searched the crowds but failed to locate the loud boy. That was weird...

Sasuke leaning against the gates, arms crossed over his muscular chest. His dark mysterious eyes scanned the hordes of students, searching for something. After a while, the seventeen-year-old Uchiha scowled and uncrossed his arms to shove his hands into his pockets. It was a sunny day, so the silver ring attached to his necklace gleamed in the sunlight.

_'He looks soooo _hot_!'_

But it seemed like I wasn't the only one thinking that, because a group of giggling girls were gathered around him, flirting shamelessly with my 'student'. The scene caused an uncomfortable pang of jealously to shoot through me, but the feeling soon faded when he managed to shoo them away. I giggled lightly at the annoyed expression on his face.

I took in a deep breath and slowly approached him. When Sasuke spotted me, he motioned with his hand to follow him. We made our way to the parking lot. The Uchiha heir opened the passenger door to a sleek, black convertible. I just stared dumbly at the vehicle.

When Sasuke and I were partnered up last year for a project, he had picked me up on a motorcycle.

He looked at me expectedly, causing me to snap out of it. I smiled sheepishly and shuffled into the car. Sasuke closed the door as soon as I was situated. The dark-haired teenager walked around to the driver's side and climbed in.

"_This_ is your car?" I asked, feeling envious. I had pleaded with my parents to buy me that exact model for my sweet sixteen, but I didn't pass the driving test. Stupid cones...

"Aa," Sasuke confirmed, backing out of the parking lot.

"What happened to your motorcycle?" I asked.

"It's at home," He answered briefly. I pouted and crossed my arms over my chest childishly. I didn't even own _one_ car and Sasuke probably had a whole warehouse full of cars at his disposal.

Jerk...

An awkward silence settled between us as we were driving towards his house. I predicted this would happen since we hadn't spoken to each other in such a long time. I would sneak glances at my crush, but he kept his eyes glued to the road. Searching for a distraction, my eyes studied the interior of the convertible.

"Wow, this car is definitely an upgrade from the bike you had in fifth grade." I giggled nervously, trying to lighten the mood.

"You mean the one that you crashed?" Sasuke asked in an uncharacteristically teasing voice. "And when I found out, you blamed it on Naruto."

"I said I was sorry..." I mumbled, feeling a tad bit guilty. Sasuke shook his head, a smirk gracing his features.

**NORMAL P.O.V. (Monday: After school in Neji's room)**

"Which school are we challenging on Friday? I forgot."

"Sound High."

"We're playing against Sound High? Ha! Our soccer team is totally going to kick their a—"

Naruto abruptly cut off in the middle of his sentence and stared over Neji's shoulder with wide eyes. The Hyuga heir shot his hyperactive friend a questioning look, but he immediately understood why Naruto had shut up when he turned around to find his cousin standing in the doorway of his bedroom.

"Hinata?" Neji said. The shy girl smiled politely at Neji, but it instantly wiped off her face when she caught sight of his blonde companion. Hinata's face turned bright red while her heart did a cartwheel and butterflies fluttered in her stomach.

"Neji-nii-san," She greeted, bowing, "H-Hello, Naruto-kun."

"Hi!" Naruto squeaked back. _Ugh, really, Naruto? _He winced, heat pouring onto his cheeks. Clearing his throat, Naruto tried again. "Hey, Hinata."

"Did you need something?" asked Neji.

Hinata fiddled with her fingers before saying, "Father w-wanted to speak with y-you. H-He's i-in his study."

Neji nodded, getting up from his seat. Before the longer-haired Hyuga left his bedroom, he said, "I'll be right back. Hinata, keep Naruto company. Make sure the idiot doesn't touch any of my things."

"Hey! I resent that!" the seventeen-year-old Uzumaki yelled indignantly.

Naruto appeared completely relaxed, but his blue eyes were practically screaming, 'Are you _insane_? DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE WITH HER!'

Neji shot him a look that read, 'You owe me, moron.' and proceeded to leave the room.

The discussion with Hyuga Hiashi only lasted a couple of minutes. The head of the Hyuga clan informed Neji that he would be leaving that night on a business trip. He would come back in a couple of weeks. While Hiashi was gone, Neji would be in charge of the household and looking after Hinata and Hanabi.

The seventeen-year-old Hyuga heir bid a good-bye to the man who he had always thought of as his own father and exited the study. Walking down the long hallway of the Hyuga mansion, he paused just outside of his opened bedroom door. Staying hidden, he peaked inside his bedroom and eavesdropped on Naruto and Hinata's conversation.

Hinata had placed herself on the edge of Neji's bed; her posture perfect. Naruto sat a foot away from Hinata, straddling the back of a computer chair with his arms folded on top of the back.

"...Shoto U-University," Hinata replied to the question Neji had missed. She was a nervous wreck and looked light-headed. The sixteen-year-old Hyuga hoped she wouldn't faint for being in close proximity with her crush.

"Cool!" Naruto smiled, his heart hammering in his chest. "I applied to Shoto, too. I'm expecting a response from them in a couple of days. Though, I doubt they'll accept me."

"I'm s-sure y-you'll get a-accepted, Naruto-kun." Hinata reassured and, without thinking, placed a comforting hand on top of his much larger one.

The blush came across Naruto's cheeks faster than anything he had ever felt in his life.

It took all of Naruto's might to refrain from gulping—and running far, _far _away.

Neji rolled his eyes at his friend's obvious panic-stricken state.

Neji was aware of what his best friend felt for his cousin. He had first noticed Naruto acting strange around Hinata in fifth grade (though, he was pretty sure Naruto's infatuation with his cousin started long before that time). The loud, overly confident Uzumaki was anything but shy or quite, but add Hinata into the equation and Naruto instantly became a blubbering, fidgeting, self-conscious bundle of nerves. Sure, the two had been friends for years, but things between them got awkward from time to time due to their feelings for one another.

Neji had always thought of Hinata and Hanabi as his little sisters, so when his suspicions about Naruto's crush on Hinata was confirmed, Neji reacted rather violently. The usually level-headed Hyuga tackled his blonde best friend to the ground and proceeded to beat the crap out of him. Angry and out matched, Naruto hit Neji where it hurt the most: his feelings for Tenten.

That's when the verbal bashing began.

Sasuke and Shikamaru, who had been trying to pull the two apart, got dragged into the middle of the fight. Shikamaru yanked Neji off of Naruto and Sasuke held Naruto in a lock. They refused to let go of Neji and Naruto until they calmed down. The two quarreling friends were pissed at Shikamaru and Sasuke for interfering. Naruto, full of rage, said an off-handed comment about Sakura being a social reject; and Neji, so angry he couldn't think straight, insulted Shikamaru for being obsessed with a 'blonde bimbo' (also known as Ino).

After that, it was a full out _war_.

The four best friends refused to speak to each other for a whole week after the fight. After a bit of reconciling (and recovering), they formed an unspoken agreement to never talk about girls—well, unless they were just teasing each other. It wasn't a hard thing to do since the opposite gender had never been one of their main topics of discussion.

Neji shook his head at the memory and resumed his eavesdropping.

"...and then it exploded! The entire physics lab was filled with smoke! Asuma-sensei was standing too close to my beaker and his beard lit on fire!" Naruto exclaimed, cracking up. Neji noticed Naruto was no longer flustered and seemed quite relaxed, happy even, in Hinata's presence.

His carefree manner broke her tension and with a soft exhalation, Hinata laughed.

Naruto stilled, staring at her, due to the fact that he had never heard her bell-like laughter before. Looking down into her smiling, happy face, he almost cupped her face and kissed her. Her light, cheerful mood caused a foreign emotion to jolt through his body. It wasn't lust or mere attraction. It was something else, something deeper. Something that had to do more with his inner being than his senses—she tugged at his heart.

And then, as Naruto watched her lavender eyes glow with warmth and basked in the sensation of Hinata's presence, he was bricked by a startling realization:

He was in love with Hinata!

Naruto internally groaned in agony.

Great. Just _great_.

Neji scoffed at Naruto's facial expression. It looked like a weird mixture of horror, awe, and realization.

"Tch. Love-stuck idiot..." muttered Neji.

"Aww! They look so cute together!" a voice behind Neji gushed. The Hyuga heir whipped around to find Tenten standing right behind him. She smiled up at him; her brown eyes twinkling. To Neji's utter mortification, heat crept up the back of his neck and his tongue turned sluggish.

_'Well, well...' _a small voice in the back of Neji's mind taunted.

_'Look who's the love-stuck idiot now?'_

**SAKURA'S P.O.V.**

We reached the Uchiha mansion after a couple minutes.

"Sakura!" the butler shouted in delight when he opened the front door for us. A smile lit up his aged face. "It's been years. What are you doing here with Sasuke-sama?"

"I'm his tutor," I replied, smiling at Niro, the butler. Niro's eyes widened and he gave Sasuke a coy look, smiling knowingly. The Uchiha heir stiffened, grabbed my arm and propelled me through the foyer and up the stairs. I was surprised we didn't take the elevator. His maids respectfully bowed as we passed by them.

He glanced at me, still walking. "Let's have the tutoring session in the library."

"No! I-I mean... Can we have it in your room?" I pleaded, "Your library kind of scares me."

When we were little, Sasuke, Naruto, Ino, and I had played hide and seek in the Uchiha's massive library. I had gotten lost and helplessly roamed the creepy library for a hour. I thought no one would ever find me and started crying. Later on, one of the maids heard my cries and found me.

Sasuke stiffened slightly before quickly looking away, heading to his room. I sighed in relief.

His room had slightly changed from the last time I visited. He now had a big trophy case that housed various awards he had received. He had a new flat screen TV and the more up-to-date gaming consoles. I felt awkward just standing in the middle of his room and looking around.

I noticed something familiar where his gaming devices were located. I rushed towards it and picked it up.

"_Ultimate Ninja 8_! It's not supposed to be out until two months from now! How the heck did you get it?" I asked, gazing at the video game with hearts in my eyes. Sasuke smirked.

"Still the gamer I—" Sasuke abruptly stopped before continuing, "I remember, eh?"

I nodded my head dumbly, still staring at the video game as if it was sacred.

"My parents are friends with the maker of _Ultimate Ninja_. I always get the latest game before they're released." Sasuke explained. His onyx eyes flickered to the game in my hands before locking his gaze on me.

"You could borrow it if you want. I'm already finished with it." Sasuke offered.

My head whipped up. A _huge_ smile alit my face. "Really? Oh my gosh! I love you!"

"…"

(Insert _extremely_ awkward silence.)

"…"

"I-I m-mean thank y-you! W-when I s-said I l-love you I-I didn't really m-mean it l-literally! I-I don't think o-of you t-that way!" I blushed heavily, mentally cursing myself for letting my feelings slip.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, scowling deeply. Great, now he's mad! He probably he thought I was one of his mindless fangirls!

"Let's get started," Sasuke commanded tersely, his hand reaching up to clutch his necklace and glare at it.

I followed the brooding dark-haired boy to his desk. We sat down and threw our bags on the desk, taking out our necessary supplies.

"So what exactly are you having problems with?" I asked, adjusting my glasses that were hidden by my long bangs. I think I need a hair cut...

"The... power rule?" Sasuke answered uncertainly after being quiet for a while.

"Oh yeah, Kakashi mentioned you had trouble with that," I recalled. Opening my calculus textbook, I flipped to the chapter that explained the power rule.

"Okay, let's begin," I said.

_**A hour and a half later...**_

My cell phone vibrated. Ino had sent me a text. I pressed a button to open the message.

_'Forehead! You better be flirting with Sasuke... Or else!' _

Blushing, I slipped my cell back into my bag and started biting my nails.

Ino would be absolutely furious to find out a hour and a half had passed, yet I hadn't flirted with Sasuke. And, when Ino threats you, she always lives up to her word. _Always_.

Looking at the work sheet I had given Sasuke to work on, I noticed he made a mistake.

"Uchiha-san, you didn't do the steps right on question seven," I remarked, getting up from of my seat to stand behind Sasuke.

Well, here goes nothing...

I hesitated before grabbing his hand that was holding his pencil. A bolt of electricity rushed through me as soon as I touched his hand.

Sasuke immediately stiffened from the contact.

I leaned over so that our heads were side by side, my chin hovering an inch above his right shoulder. Thankful that he was unaware of my nervousness, I giggled and whispered in his ear, "Relax, Uchiha-san. I don't bite."

I cringed. I sounded seductive! I blame Ino for corrupting me...

I guided Sasuke's hand, writing the correct formula. Thank goodness he didn't see me blushing!

After completing the question, I let go of his hand and sat back down in my seat, feeling slightly dizzy from holding his hand. We sat in complete silence for about fifteen minutes.

"Here, I'm done," stated Sasuke. He handed me his answered calculus problems. Opening my backpack, I got out a red pen and started correcting Sasuke's work sheet. A couple minutes passed before Sasuke spoke.

"You still do that?" Sasuke questioned.

"Do what?" I asked.

"Bite your nails when you're concentrating or nervous," Sasuke replied. "You've had that habit since third grade." Sasuke pointed to the fingernails I was nibbling on.

"Yeah, it's a bad habit I can't seem to get rid of." I laughed self-consciously, taking my nails out of my mouth.

"Remember when that teacher gave you detention for biting your nails because he thought it was gross? I swear, that teacher was an idiot," Sasuke scoffed, a scowl on his face.

"Yeah, but it was kind of weird he got fired the next day, huh? Karma perhaps?" I questioned.

"Aa." Sasuke agreed with a smirk on his handsome face.

"It's a disgusting habit, though. I really should stop," I sighed.

"It's not disgusting. I think it's ador—" Sasuke abruptly cut off, quickly turned away.

"Hn," he grunted. I looked at him, curiosity in my eyes, but he refused to meet my questioning gaze. I shook my head. He was so hard to understand sometimes.

"It's getting late. I should drop you off," Sasuke said, standing up and grabbing his keys. After packing up my bag, I followed the seventeen-year-old Uchiha out of his house and into his car. During the whole drive, we were talking about _Ultimate Ninja 8_ and Sasuke gave me tips about each level.

"When you reach the forbidden forest, take the path on the right," Sasuke advised as we drove over the great Juizo Bridge, "The left path leads to a dead end. Keep going until you reach Orochimaru's lair. Defeat him and you win."

"How do you defeat him?"

Sasuke smirked. "You're a smart girl. You'll figure it out."

I pouted and stuck out my tongue at him. Jerk. He just chuckled, the sound making my stomach flip.

A smile made it way up to my face. It felt nice talking to Sasuke. It felt like those years when he ignored me never happened. Something inside me knew that our friendship had been restored after the tutoring session... and I liked it.

Sasuke glanced down at his necklace, a thoughtful look on his face. Before I could decipher the look in his eyes, he quickly lifted his gaze back onto the road with his usual stoic expression. We continued talking.

The ride ended all too soon. I had to force the pout off my face when I realized we were parked in front of my estate. "Thanks for letting me borrow your game," I said, clutching the video game to my chest and getting out of the car. "See you tomorrow!" Sasuke nodded and pulled out of the driveway.

I skipped into my home with a bright smile on my face, but suddenly stopped in my tracks when I realized something.

Instead of getting Sasuke to like me, I just ended up falling harder for him!

**Someone up there must **_**really**_** hate me...**

_End of third chapter_

XXXXX

**Author's Note: **Originally, there was never NejiTen and NaruHina fluff in this chapter. I wasn't planning on adding it, but for some reason I just couldn't get the darn scene out of my head! It was as if it was haunting me or something! Plus, you got to admit it _was_ pretty cute... but a total pain in the butt to write :/  
Oh, here's Sakura and Sasuke's class schedules (Most of their classes are the same):  
1. Calculus with Kakashi  
2. Literature with Kurenai  
3. Physics with Asuma  
4. P.E. with Anko and Gai  
Lunch  
5. Free period  
6. History with Ibiki  
7. Sasuke: Economics with Iruka, Sakura: Computer Level Three with Ebisu

PLEASE REVIEW! Next chapter is going to be in Sasuke's point of view!

God bless,

Teddy


	4. Tutoring Session: Sasuke's Side

This chapter is written in (err... mostly) Sasuke's POV. I wrote some actual quotes from my guy friends. If you spot any spelling or grammar mistakes... IT'S HER FAULT! —points accusingly at **BlackBlossom101**— Hahaha! Just kidding ;) Thanks for beta-ing this chapter Robyn!

**DEDICATION: **THE FOURTH CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO **SakuraUchiha93 **FOR BEING MY **200TH REVIEWER**! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

...

**Chapter Four: Tutoring Session (Sasuke's Side)**

XXXXX

**SASUKE'S P.O.V. (Monday: Afternoon)**

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe i—**Okay, this not working!**

I was sitting on the grand steps of Konoha Private High School with Shikamaru, Neji, and Naruto. They were discussing a new strategy for the soccer game on Friday while I remained silent, internally panicking about the tutoring session. I hadn't anticipated us being alone at my house! Well, the house keepers would be there, but they didn't count.

My breath stuttered, pathetically, at the thought of being _alone_ with Sakura.

_'Alone. With Sakura. In my bedroo—'_

Suddenly, my gut jerked violently and a queasy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. My lungs felt too small as I tried to swallow past the lump forming in my throat, uncomfortably shifting my position. Now, my forearms were resting on my thighs, shoulders hunched and head low. I cupped the back of my neck, feeling awkward.

"Dude, what's wrong?" Neji's deep voice broke through my thoughts. I turned my head to the side to find that my three friends were staring at me with curious expressions.

"Five words: Sakura. Me. Tutor. Bedroom. Alone," I listed while counting them off, fingering my necklace with my free hand.

"Whoa... Temptation is a pain in the butt, eh?" Shikamaru chuckled lazily, apparently amused with my situation. I glared darkly.

"Shut it. If you were in my position with Ino, you would've had Ino naked with her back pinned to your mattress the second you entered your bedroom. Am I not right?"

"Hahaha!" Naruto laughed obnoxiously, clutching his stomach. The governor's son threw an arm over my shoulders. "Nice one, Teme!"

I glared menacingly at the dead-last. "I'm going to give you three seconds to let go of me before I remove a limb."

Still laughing, Naruto let go of me. I could feel Shikamaru's glare boring a hole in the side of my face. Smirking, I glanced at the fuming seventeen-year-old Nara. "So it's true?"

"Go die."

My smirk broadened. Naruto was still laughing like a total idiot, tears forming in his eyes. "Naruto, you troublesome idiot, shut up!" Shikamaru hissed, but Naruto refused to stop. Shikamaru's face turned bright red due to embarrassment and anger. The lazy genius tensed up, no longer looking tired.

"At least I didn't _faint_ when Hinata hugged me during the Winter Festival in eighth grade, unlike someone I know." Shikamaru glared daggers at Naruto, who had abruptly stopped laughing.

"I-It was a heat stroke!" Naruto tried to defend himself, but his red cheeks gave him away.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you can get heat strokes when it's friggin' _snowing,_" Shikamaru scoffed.

"Guys, relax," Neji commanded as he tried to stop Naruto from lunging at Shikamaru. "We need to help Sasuke deal with his problem."

"Teme, you're a teenage boy with hormones and urges. Thus, you only have two options: rape or suicide." Naruto's face brightened as if he'd been struck with a brilliant idea. "Or you could perform both! With rape happening first of course." **(1)**

The three of us simultaneously punched the dobe and cussed at him. **(2) **

"Idiot!" I yelled at him after he stopped screaming from the pain.

"The solution to your problem is simple. Just don't hold the tutoring session in your bedroom. Have it in your library. You won't have to worry about being alone in the same room as her because your personal librarian is always in there," Shikamaru explained. "And if for some reason you can't have it in your library, then just suggest another room where your housekeepers will be present."

"Thanks, Nara." I smirked, pounding fists with him. Why didn't I think of that?

A moment of silence passed over our group before Naruto broke it. Nothing new there.

"Hey, Teme! Remember when Sakura visited your house for the first time?"

I nodded my head, my face slightly heat up at the memory. Naruto and I were eight-years-old at that time while Sakura was only seven. We had picked up Sakura at her house on a Saturday morning...

_**Start Flashback**_

**(Saturday: about 10:00 o'clock in the morning)**

I shifted slightly, the car's leather seat squeaking with my movements. Naruto sat to the right of me while Sakura was seated on my left. I had invited them over to my house to play a newly released video game called _Ultimate Ninja_. Otou-sama had given it to me as a present to apologize for the fact he hadn't visited me these past few months. My mother had sent along a new skateboard as well.

Sakura and I both shared a love for video games. I guess that's why I had a crus—_why I admired her_. We would talk for hours (she was one of the few people who could get more than just monosyllable words out of me) about video games and share cheat codes. My best friends weren't into video games like I was, so she was the person I hung out with when I wasn't with them. Though Sakura and I had_ many differences_, I was surprised to find that we shared a few common interests. I guessed that's why I found her more tolerable than most girls.

Shikamaru warned me that I might get Sakura's girl cooties if I kept talking to her. But if she was giving _anyone_ her cooties, it _better_ be **me** or els—

Uh... I-I... Argh, just ignore that last statement...

Sakura was very different from the other girls in our class. She didn't hurt my ears like the other girls with their noise they called 'talking'. Sakura was more soft-spoken, but had her hyper moments. Also, she was one of the few girls in our school who didn't grow their hair long because of the stupid, false rumor that claimed I liked girls with long hair.

...Was that a sign she didn't like me?

Argh, annoying! I don't care if she doesn't like me...

I glanced at my pink-haired classmate, watching her adjust the pink hair-bow I had given her.

Sometimes, I was reluctant to hang out with her because my best friends would tease me non-stop about Sakura. Girls and boys our age didn't usually talk to each other, so my friends assumed that I liked her. Pfft, as if! Why would I like a girl with soft-looking pink hair and bright green eyes that give me butterflies in my stomac—

"Sasuke likes Sakura! Sasuke likes Sakura!" Naruto taunted, smiling cheekily.

"No, I don't! Just shut up you moron!" I glared daggers at him, my hands curling into fist.

"Then why were you just staring at her? Admit it, Teme. You have a crush on Sakura," the eight-year-old Uzumaki whispered teasingly. I smacked him upside the head. He cursed at me.

I heard a giggle and my head whipped towards the origin of the sound: Sakura.

My eyes widened.

Crap! Did she hear our conversation? I had forgotten that she was sitting right beside us!

The thought of Sakura knowin—_assuming_ that I liked her was horrifying. I felt heat creeping up the back of my neck, quickly turning my head towards Naruto's direction so that my bangs could cover my face. Naruto, being the dobe that he is, started laughing his butt off when he saw my flustered expression. I refrained from punching him.

It barely registered in my mind that the car had stopped in front of my home since I was still pretty mortified. I had gotten out of the car, led them into the house, and headed into my room. Every time I was addressed, I just grunted out a response.

The three of us third graders made our way to the couch in front of my large flat-screen TV that was connected to a bunch of my precious gaming consoles. I purposely made sure Sakura and I sat on the opposite ends of the couch. I didn't like making any physical contact with Sakura because whenever I did, I started to feel... _funny_.

Naruto frowned in my direction. I raised an eyebrow in question. Then, he roughly pushed me into the middle of the couch, making me bump into Sakura. Before I could ask what the heck he was doing, Naruto parked his fat butt were I formerly sitting and winked at me. That stupid dumbas—

I felt something shift on my right side... or more like _someone. _My eyes widened in horrification.

Sakura and I were _touching_.

I choked on air, my heart slamming into my chest. My cheeks burned red. I bolted off the couch in an attempt to distance myself from her. Handing my classmates controllers, I made sure my fingers didn't brush Sakura's hand. Reluctantly, I sat down again and pressed the red start button.

The couch was small so my attempts to subtly shift away from Sakura failed because I couldn't move much. '_I think it's about time to invest in a larger couch...' _I thought, inching away from the seven-year-old girl beside me.

Fangirls would hug and cling onto me constantly, annoying the heck out of me. Because of that, I had made it known to _everyone_ that I hated physical contact. But with Sakura, I got annoyed about her touching me for a _completely_ different reason. I actually **liked**__Sakura's hugs! It was frustrating, confusing, and disturbing.

Quickly pushing all of those thoughts concerning Sakura out of my mind, I focused on the game. The game was instantly addicting. It was _sick!_ I barely noticed that two hours had already passed since I was so caught up in the game.

"I'm hungry! It's already lunch time. I want ramen!" whined Naruto. I briefly glanced at Naruto before returning my attention to _Ultimate Ninja. _When was the idiot _not _hungry?

"You two are addicted! Teme, I'm going to go raid your kitchen," the blue-eyed boy said before he ran out of my room. Hours passed before the dobe returned and fell asleep on my bed. The sound of his snores filled the room. He better not drool on my pillows!

"So... where is your family?" Sakura questioned. "I didn't see them when we were heading to your room."

"They're not home. My parents are constantly out of the country and my brother attends a boarding school. I only see them once in a while," I answered, still focusing on the TV screen. Sakura glanced at me. "Do you ever get lonely?" she quietly asked.

"Sometimes." I shrugged, slightly depressed. I was used to being alone. Though, it would be nice to see my parents more often. Sometimes I felt like they bought me presents—like the video game we were currently playing—because they felt guilty about not being around.

"You're lucky your parents aren't around all the time. My parents watch me like hawks! They're way too overprotective. I swear I bet they hired someone to follow me here!" Sakura yelled while suspiciously looking around. Nudging her with my elbow, I laughed at her crazy antics.

I glanced at her, a thoughtful look on my face. She had this weird ability to make me feel better and forget about my problems.

It was five o'clock in the afternoon when we reached the final level. We had to battle some snake-like creature named Orochimaru. That freak was going _down!_ Sakura and I were at the edge of the couch, eager to defeat the game. We were close to completing the game, but our characters' chakra levels were low.

My character finally killed Orochimaru by stabbing his heart with a dagger. The words 'GAME COMPLETED!' flashed on the TV screen, then credits started to roll. We leapt off the couch in victory. Sakura started happily jumping up and down while I just stood there with a self-satisfied smirk plastered on my face.

_'I killed him! Heck yeah!'_

Sakura, her eyes crinkling in delight, turned towards me and squealed, "We did it, Sasuke-kun!"

My jaw dropped and my heart skipped _several_ beats when I heard the honorific. But the next thing Sakura did shocked all conscious thought out of me.

**SAKURA KISSED ME! **She_ kissed _me!

The seven-year-old Haruno hugged me tightly, burying her smiling face in the juncture of my neck. Her touch made my heart slam into my chest, my stomach twist inside, my knees buckle and feel like jelly, and my cheeks turn red hot.

After what felt like eternity, Sakura let go of me and shuffled backwards shyly. She blushed heavily; her eyes were focused on the floor. I just stood there frozen, unable to say anything because I felt like I was about to pass out. My mouth refused to work in fear that I would stutter like an idiot. She hesitantly looked up at me with an embarrassed, shocked expression.

The green-eyed girl bowed deeply and stuttered, "I-I'm so sorry! I d-didn't mean to! I j-just got c-caught up in the m-moment! I-I'm sorry!" Still numb with shock, I watched as she bolted out of my room.

I slowly raised my hand to touch the tingling cheek she had kissed.

Slowly, a dazed smile crept onto my blushing face.

"SASUKE AND SAKURA SITTING IN A TREE! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" screamed Naruto, who had witnessed the whole exchange because he had woken up when we completed the game.

"SHUT UP! YOU MOTHERFUC—"

_**End Flashback**_

Smirking, I shook my head at the memory, my hand unconsciously reaching upwards to touch my cheek.

Neji turned to me and asked, "Do you also remember when Sakura avoided you for a whole week after that incident?" The question caused Naruto to start laughing. I shot a glare in his direction.

That was a time period I did _not_ want to remember.

"I remember that!" Naruto yelled. Shikamaru appeared to be confused. "What happened?"

"Dude, you seriously don't remember?" questioned Naruto, incredulous. Shikamaru shook his head.

"Okay, then let me refresh your memory," Naruto cleared his throat dramatically and began his tale, "After Sakura had visited him for the first time, Sasuke was all twitchy and irritable because _his precious Sakura-chan_ avoided him. Teme would try talk to her, but she'd always run away. I'd never seen him act so moody. He was so pissed that week that all he did was snap at everyone. The bastard even made our teacher, who was a thirty year-old _man_, cry because he was so scared of Teme!"

The dobe was laughing so hard that tears rolled out of his blue eyes. "Then, Teme got fed up with Sakura avoiding him and approached her at the play ground while she was swinging. Sakura was going to run away from him, but he quickly trapped her in his arms and basically _begged_ her to talk to him again!"

Shikamaru and Neji held their hands over their mouths to smother their laughter. I glared darkly at all of them and cracked my knuckles, ready to teach them a painful lesson when Kiba and Gaara approached us.

"Hey, what's so funny?" questioned Kiba, spinning a basketball on his index finger. Gaara nodded in greeting and sat down on the steps near Neji.

Sabaku no Gaara and Inuzuka Kiba were known as the school jocks, just like us. They were good friends of ours. Kiba was a senior while Gaara was just a sophomore. The two seemed to be polar opposites of each other. Gaara was the silent, introverted type while Kiba was a loud mouth.

"We were just teasing Sasuke about Sakura," Neji told them.

"Ah." Kiba smiled teasingly. Gaara nodded knowingly.

Kiba and Gaara were the only ones that knew of my scheme to have Sakura tutor me besides my best friends. They overheard us talking about it in the boys' locker room. Ever since then, they teamed up with my friends to pick on me. Annoying morons...

"I heard you got Sakura to agree to tutor you. Which class?" Kiba asked.

"Calculus."

"Why didn't you have her tutor you in anatomy? I bet you'd have A LOT of fun... _studying._" Kiba winked suggestively.

"Shut up, dog boy." I glared at him, trying to get rid of all those mental imagines that flashed through my mind because of Kiba's comment. Glancing at my wrist watch, I noticed that it was time to meet up with Sakura.

"I should get going," I said, standing up and sliding an arm into one of the straps of my black backpack.

"Looks like someone's eager to see their girlfriend!" teased Naruto. I smacked him upside the head before leaving.

"REMEMBER TO USE PROTECTION!" hollered Kiba, loud enough for the whole student body to hear him. My friends busted out laughing and high-fived Kiba. I flipped him off as I sauntered away.

Walking towards the school's main gate and leaning against it, I scanned the crowds for a familiar pink-haired girl. My arms were crossed over my chest, but when I failed to locate her, I scowled and stuffed my hands into my jean's pockets.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun!" a group irritating girls chorused.

_'Great, just what I needed.'_

I shot them my darkest glare, annoyed. They quickly scampered away, giggling. Freaks.

As soon as they were out of my way, I spotted Sakura hesitantly approaching me. I made a hand motion for her to follow me as I headed towards the parking lot.

Sakura trailed behind as I approached my black convertible. Out of all my sixteen cars, this one was my favorite. My parents had given me sixteen different vehicles (one car for each year) for my sixteenth birthday because they felt bad for missing my birthday... _again_.

I held the passenger door open for her, but Sakura didn't make any attempts to move. The sixteen-year-old Haruno just stood there frozen, staring at my car. I sent her a curious look which seemed to snap her out of her trance. Slightly flustered, she smiled shyly and shuffled into the car. After closing her door, I walked around to the driver's side and climbed in.

"_This _is your car?" Sakura asked.

"Aa," I confirmed, looking behind as I backed out of the parking lot.

"What happened to your motorcycle?" the green-eyed girl questioned.

"It's at home," I responded, surprised she remembered it. An uncomfortable silence fell between us as I drove. I was perfectly fine with it, but it seemed to make Sakura a bit antsy.

"Wow, this is definitely an upgrade from the bike you had in fifth grade." Sakura giggled, sounding nervous.

"You mean the one that you crashed?" I teased. "And when I found out, you blamed it on Naruto."

"I said I was sorry..." She mumbled, blushing. I smirked and shook my head.

_**Start Flashback**_

**(Fifth Grade: Back Yard of Uchiha Mansion)**

"**WHO DID THIS**?" I yelled at Naruto, Shikamaru, and Neji.

Hinata, Tenten, Sakura (who I couldn't see because the girls were blocking her) and Ino stood next to the boys, looking terrified.

Enraged, I examined what was left of my new bike that had been smashed into a tree.

I invited the boys over to my house to hang out. Neji had to babysit Hinata, so he had asked if Hinata and her friends could tag along. I agreed reluctantly, not wanting any girls around, but that was the only way Neji could come over. We decided to play in my backyard and I showed my friends some cool tricks I had learned to do on my new bike. I needed to use the bathroom, so I went into the house for a couple minutes. When I came back out, I saw that someone had crashed my favorite bike into an oak tree.

"I'm gonna _kill_ whoever did this! That bike was brand new and a gift from my mom! One of you guys fess up. _Now_." I was so pissed! I was gonna rip apart whoever wrecked it.

"I-It was Naruto!" Sakura squeaked, still hiding behind her friends.

"WHAT?" Naruto yelled, absolutely bewildered.

Quickly grabbing Naruto by his collar, I growled, "Dobe, I'm gonna make you wish you were never born."

I raised my balled fist, more than ready to give Naruto a black eye. Before I could hit him, Sakura roughly jerked my body backwards. She was grasping my right arm. I was about to shake her off, but I stopped dead in my tracks when I noticed her appearance. My eyes widened and I choked on my spit.

The nine-year-old Haruno's clothes were dirtied and slightly torn. Sakura had severely scraped knees, a big bruise on her arm, and a gash on her cheek.

"I-I'm sorry! I lied! It was me. I didn't mean to break it! If anyone deserves to be beaten up, it's me," Sakura confessed with tears in her eyes. All my anger immediately flew out the window, being quickly replaced with worry and concern for Sakura. Grabbing Sakura by her shoulders, I examined her injuries.

"Sakura, how could you be so careless? You could've killed yourself!" I scolded her in a quiet voice, gently lifting her chin up to inspect the gash on her cheek.

My gut jerked violently when I saw how badly she was hurt. I released Sakura and turned to face my friends. Suddenly feeling mad at myself for some unknown reason, I decided to take out my anger on them.

"Why didn't you stop her? You guys were supposed to be watching her! I swear, if she gets hurt again because of your carelessness, I'm going to beat the crap out of all of you!" I yelled at Naruto, Neji, and Shikamaru. I knew they weren't to blame, but I couldn't seem to contain my anger. They remained silent, as if they understood why I was acting out; as if they knew something I didn't know.

"I-I'm very sorry about the bike." Sakura bowed deeply, ashamed. Her bright green eyes refused to meet my gaze.

"Screw the bike," I sneered, grabbing one of Sakura's hand. It was tiny compared to my hand, reminding me how small and fragile she was. My anger increased.

Sakura's head snapped up. All of our friends were staring at me like I'd grown a second head.

"One minute he's screaming about his bike and the next minute he doesn't care. Bipolar much?" Ino whispered to her friends. I just ignored them.

Tugging on Sakura's hand, I said, "Come on, let's go get you cleaned up and bandaged.

We took a few steps before I noticed she was limping. Her knees must've hurt a lot. Pondering over what I should do, I remembered how my cousin caught up his new wife in his arms during their wedding. I waited until we were out of sight from our friends' prying eyes before quickly picking her up bridal-style, one arm under her knees and the other supporting her back.

I flushed at our close proximity.

"P-Put me down! Yo-You don't n-need to carry me! I-I'm fine!" Sakura tried to convince me, squirming in my arms. Her entire face was aflame with a dark blush.

"Like _hell _you are," I scoffed and tugged her closer to my chest, carrying her into my home.

That day I vowed to never allow Sakura to get hurt again...

**Never**.

_**End Flashback**_

We reached my house after several minutes.

"Sakura!" Niro, my butler, greeted us with a warm smile on his aged face. I had known the old man since birth. He held the door open for us. "It's been years. What are you doing here with Sasuke-sama?"

"I'm his tutor," she responded, smiling at Niro. Niro's eyes widened before they narrowed mischievously, glancing between the two of us. It was as if he saw right through my plan. He shot me a knowing look that caused heat to creep up the back of my neck on onto my cheeks.

_'He knows...'_

Was I _that_ obvious?

My whole body stiffened. I grabbed the sixteen-year-old girl's thin arm, dragging her into the mansion and up the stairs.

"Let's have the tutoring session in the library," I said, glancing at her.

"No! I-I mean... Can we have it in your room?" she pleaded. "Your library kind of scares me." My body tensed up at her request.

_'Okay, but if I knock you unconscious and you later find out you're pregnant, you know what happened.'_

I mentally kicked myself for my indecent thoughts, my ears slowly heating up. Man, I needed help...

Wracking my brain, I tried desperately to remember the instructions Shikamaru had given me to deal with this situation. My mind was frustratingly blank. Unable to come up with a descent excuse, I looked away from her and headed into my room.

I stood next to Sakura as she examined my room, my hands in my pockets. Her gaze shifted to where my gaming consoles were located. Suddenly, her eyes brightened from behind her thick glasses. She ran towards the shelf that housed my video games. My gi—_calculus tutor_ picked up my copy of _Ultimate Ninja 8 _with careful hands.

"_Ultimate Ninja 8_? It's not supposed to be released until two months from now! How did you get it?" Sakura practically squealed, gazing at it like it was sacred. She had brushed aside her long bangs from her face, allowing me to clearly see her innocent, child-like excited expression.

I fought the urge to smile. Some things just never change.

"Still the gamer I—" Cutting off abruptly, I hid my horrified expression. I almost let the 'L' word slip out, "I remember, eh?" She nodded her head, not taking her eyes off the video game.

I crossed my arms over my chest, feeling frustrated and confused. I still had no idea how to label my feelings for Sakura.

_'Did I just have a crush on her? Like? Infatuation?' _I thought. Tilting my head to the side, I appraised her with a thoughtful look.

_'Love?' _

"My parents are friends with the maker of _Ultimate Ninja_. I always get the latest game before they're released," I explained, glancing at the game in her hands before meeting her gaze.

"You could borrow it if you want. I'm already finished with it," I offered.

Sakura's head shot up. The biggest smile ever appeared on her face, her bright green eyes crinkling in delight. She was practically _glowing_. I think my heart just melted...

"Really? Oh my gosh! I love you!"

YES! **FINALLY! **THANK YOU KAMI-SA—

"I-I m-mean thank y-you! W-when I s-said I l-love you I-I didn't really m-mean it l-literally! I-I don't think o-of you t-that way!" Sakura stammered with red-tinged cheeks.

My heart fell into my stomach.

Disappointment sunk in. Hard.

"Hn," I grunted, scowling.

What. The. HELL!

That was just _mean_.

One minute I'm ready to jump her and kiss her until we passed out due to lack of oxygen, then the next minute she practically ripped out my heart, stomped on it, and left me with a terrible ache in my gut. I had the sudden urge to punch something and gritted my teeth.

I was Uchiha_ friggin' _Sasuke. _I_ was the one who was supposed to be rejecting girls and throwing their feelings back in their faces, _not_ the other way around!

Was she purposely trying to rub it in my face that I _really, really like___(Is it 'like'? I'm confused...) her, yet she felt absolutely **nothing** for me?

"Let's get started," I commanded tersely, clutching my necklace and glaring at it.

_'That just makes things more complicated...'_

My gaze shifted to the wall stubbornly. I refused look at Sakura because I knew that the moment I looked at her, I would do something drastic and stupid to change her mind about me.

I stomped over to my desk with Sakura following me. We both sat down and threw our bags on my desk, taking out our necessary supplies. I noticed her long, pink bangs were once again masking her face.

"So what exactly are you having problems with?" My sixteen-year-old tutor asked, adjusting her thick glasses.

_Shit! _

I didn't even bother to look at our calculus book this semester, so I didn't know any of the lessons we were covering. My goal was to lower my grade, so I thought reading over what we were studying would be a waste of time.

"The... power rule?" It sounded more like a question than an answer.

"Oh yeah, Kakashi mentioned you had trouble with that," Sakura stated, flipping her book open.

I let out a silent sigh of relief. That was close.

"Okay, let's begin," she said.

After spending an hour to explain the lesson, Sakura pulled out a worksheet and instructed me to complete it. Taking a pencil out of my backpack, I began on my assignment.

**SHIKAMARU'S P.O.V. (Monday: Yamanaka Residents)**

"Shikamaru, don't slouch!" my troublesome mother scolded as we entered the Yamanaka's household. The Yamanaka's butler collected our jackets and bowed before hanging them on a rack.

"Mendōkusei..." I muttered under my breath, straightening my posture.

"Yoshino!" a cheerful voice called. It was Ino's mother. I didn't care too much for the woman. She was vain, loud, and a total airhead. A moment later, Chōji's mother entered the foyer as well. I smiled at the kind lady. She was like a second mother to me.

The women hugged each other.

Chōji's, Ino's, and my parents had met in middle school. The six of them had been best friends ever since and frequently got together. Tonight was one of their gatherings, but all the men couldn't make it because they had to escort the governor (Naruto's father). Ironically, all of our fathers—Inoichi, Chōza, and Shikaku—worked together as Anbu Black Ops.

"Shikamaru!" Ino's mother gushed. "You've grown so much since the last time I saw you!"

_'But you just saw me a couple days ago...'_ I was tempted to voice my thoughts, but decided against it. Too troublesome...

Instead, I bowed politely towards the two women. I asked, "Where are Ino and Chōji?"

"Chōji couldn't make it tonight because he needs to study for a test," Chōza's rather round wife replied. I frowned, shoving my hands into my pockets. Chōji was one of our best friends, but he attended a different school, making it difficult for me and Ino to hang out with him as much as we'd like to.

"Ino is cooking in the kitchen," the Inoichi's wife said, smiling too wide. I seriously didn't like that woman. She was so—

"Wait, did you just say that _Ino_ is in the kitchen... _cooking?_" I asked, bewildered. The blonde hag nodded, looking somewhat put off by my reaction.

"I can assure you, Shikamaru, that my daughter isn't domestically deprived," the stick-skinny woman huffed, "Ino had volunteered to prepare tonight's dinner since our chef is sick and unable to work." She gestured towards the hallway that led to the kitchen. "You can check it out for yourself if you don't believe me."

My mother glared at me, thinking I was rude. She mouthed the words, "Apologize. Now."

"Mendōkusei," I grumbled, not loud enough for the three women to hear. Bowing again, I said, "I'm sorry if I had offended you. I was merely shocked. I didn't know Ino could cook." I shot my mom a look that read, 'Happy now?' and she nodded.

I hated my mother's bossy nature. Glancing at my mother, remembered the conversation I had with Naruto during my freshman year.

_**Start Flashback **_**(Freshman Year: School Cafeteria)**

Someone was shaking my shoulder in an attempt to wake me up. Slapping away their hand, I drifted back to sleep.

"SHIKAMARU!"

I bolted upright, clutching my aching ear. Naruto's ear-piercing scream had deafened me for a moment.

"Naruto, you troublesome idiot! Why did you just scream in my ear?" I yelled. If I wasn't so tired, I would've socked him in the face. And since Sasuke and Neji weren't around (they were still waiting in the lunch line), they couldn't do it for me.

The fourteen-year-old Uzumaki rolled his blue eyes and said, "Because you didn't answer my question!"

"What question?" I grumbled. Naruto's expression turned dreamy as he stared off in the distance, his eyes twinkling. He clasped his hands together and rested them against his cheek. I scooted back in my seat, creeped out by his behavior.

"Have you ever imagined what it would be like to get married?"

I fell off my chair.

Various students turned their heads to stare at me as I lay sprawled across the floor on my back, groaning from the pain of the impact. The idiot didn't even bother to help me up! I slowly stood and sat back in my seat. I glared at him.

"What the_ hell?_ Where did _that _question come from?"

Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. I crossed my across over my chest and slouched in my seat. Raising a skeptical brow, I asked, "Have you been watching soap operas again?"

The blonde freshman reddened as he sputtered, "N-No!"

"Clearly," I scoffed, smirking. His blue eyes narrowed into thin slits. "Just answer the question."

"Troublesome..." I sighed, interlacing my fingers to rest the back of my head in my hands. "To be honest, yes, I have." Naruto leaned closer, eager to hear the details. Shifting in my seat, I continued, "The woman that I marry will be absolutely _nothing_ like my mother. I'll just marry a regular girl who isn't too ugly and not too pretty. A wife who doesn't nag and isn't bossy."

"Really? Your future wife sounds boring." Naruto scrunched his nose. I shrugged and drifted off, so deep in thought that I wasn't paying close attention to what Naruto was saying. I yawned loudly.

Naruto said, "Okay, then. Imagine it's your wedding day and you're standing at the alter, about to get married. Who do you see walking up the aisle dressed in white?"

"Ino."

"..."

"..."

I bolted up in my seat, all tiredness erased. My eyes widened in horrification as I clamped a hand over my mouth. I was blushing like crazy.

_'Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! Why did I say her name? I wasn't thinking! It just slipped out! Plus, Ino is the polar opposite of what I described!'_

Naruto's jaw dropped, stupefied. Ino and Hinata walked by our table with trays of food in their arms, snapping us out of our states of shock. Naruto, as if realization was dawning on him, pointed an accusing finger at me. Then Ino. Then back at me again. Fear gripped me as he opened his mouth and shouted.

"I KNEW IT! YOU LIK—"

I leaped across the table and tackled Naruto to the ground. My hand had slapped itself over his big mouth to keep it shut. He shrieked in pain and anger. We wrestled on the floor, trying to gain the upper hand.

Still walking past us, Ino turned to Hinata, jerked her thumb towards us and said, "What's their problem?"

_**End Flashback**_

A couple moments later, the chattering women moved into the lounge while I headed towards the Yamanaka's state-of-the-art kitchen. The kitchen door sung open, alerting Ino of my presence. She put her cell phone away (I think she just finished texting someone) and looked up. Ino smiled, almost causing me to trip over my own two feet. I pulled on my spiked pony-tail, feeling uncomfortable.

"Hi, Shika-kun!" The troublesome, seventeen-year-old girl greeted from her place at the stove. My knees buckled at sound of the affectionate nickname. I immediately sat down on one of the island's stools, not wanting Ino to see me weak in the knees.

"Hey," I said and gave her a brief wave. Waiting until Ino turned around to stir her pot; I winced and ran a hand down my face, mortified.

"Here, try some," she urged, coming towards me with a ladle in her hand. My head instinctively moved backwards as she prodded my sealed lips with the spoon. I grabbed her tiny wrist. Are my eyes deceiving me or was that a blush on her face?

"What is it, poison?"

Ino rolled her blue eyes. "Just try it."

"No."

"Try it," she ordered in her bossy tone.

"Fine," I sighed, sipping the contents of the ladle. My eyes widened in surprised when my taste buds recognized the food. "It's tsukedashi soup." Ino smiled brightly at my surprised expression. She knew that it was one of my favorite dishes since it contained two of my favorite foods: kelp and mackerel.

"I made it especially for you." Ino winked. I prayed to Kami-sama that she couldn't tell that I was flustered.

Gesturing to a large platter of uncooked beef, the seventeen-year-old head cheerleader stated, "I was planning on preparing some yakiniku for Chōji, but his mother told me that he couldn't make it tonight." She frowned, her lower lip jutting out slightly. Ino was also upset that Chōji wouldn't hang out with us tonight.

My eyebrows rose. Ino had prepared our favorite foods. She was... thoughtful.

The kettle on the stove whistled loudly, startling us.

"I guess the tea is ready," the blue-eyed girl muttered absentmindedly, going towards the stove and removing the kettle from the heat. She came back to the island and started to knead some dough. I assumed the dough was for making dumplings. My arms folded on top of the island and my chin laid on them. The urge to sleep pulled at me, but I knew my troublesome mother would bash my head in for falling asleep before dinner. I glanced at my wrist watch. Dinner time wasn't for another hour (we usually eat at six).

I studied Ino as she added more flour to the dough. I had never seen this side of Ino. In the past I had teased her that her future children would starve to death because she lacked proper culinary skills. Ino had given me a rather large bruise when I said that she was probably the only person in Japan who had the ability to burn water.

But now, seeing her busy around the kitchen... she almost seemed _maternal _or _motherly_. Heck, she reminded me of _my mother _when I was little and used to watch her cook when our chef had the day off. What happened to the loud spoiled-rotten brat I grew up with? My eyes wandered over the various plates that lined the counter. For a girl who's constantly on diets and watches her weight (due to her mother's nagging), she sure cooks a lot. Smirking, I shook my head lazily. The girl never ceases to amaze me...

A few strands of blonde hair slipped from Ino's pony-tail and fell in front of her face. She tried to blow them away, but it didn't work. Using her forearm to brush away the loose tendrils didn't work either. She refrained from using her hands because they were covering with flour. The seventeen-year-old grumbled to herself, annoyed.

"Here, let me do it."

I leaned across the island with my arm outstretched. My fingers grasped the lock of golden hair. Ino stared into my eyes, making me freeze for a moment. My breath caught in my throat. I was struck by the depths of her piercing blue eyes.

_'Stop staring into her eyes like a love-sick moron, you moron!'_

I quickly tucked the lock of hair behind her ear and snatched my hand back as if her touch burned. Embarrassed, I slouched in my seat and crossed my arms over my chest defensively. A strong urge to run away and hide washed over me. I hesitated before lifting my eyes to peer at her.

Ino had gone back to kneading the dough. Her eyes were lowered and she bit on her bottom lip. A dark blush covered her pale features.

_'She's so cute when she blushes.'_

I face-palmed. Heat crept up the back of my neck. What was_ wrong _with me today? With my face still burning, I glanced at her for the inth time this evening.

Was I _falling_ for Ino?

I groaned inaudibly.

"What a drag..."

**SASUKE'S P.O.V.**

I couldn't help but glance up every so often, sending lingering looks her way... when she wasn't watching, _obviously. _

My eyes trailed from her frizzy mop of pink hair, to her outfit that swallowed her petite frame, down to her feet, and back up again. Rolling my eyes at myself, I tried my best to concentrate on the worksheet, but I felt my traitorous eyes once again wonder to where she sat. I groaned internally.

Okay, this was getting ridiculous. C'mon, I was the Uchiha heir. I wasn't supposed to be acting like a pathetic, love-sick teenager!

"Uchiha-san, you didn't do the steps right on question seven," Sakura remarked while getting up out of her seat and standing behind me.

_'What is she doing?...'_

I stiffened when I felt Sakura's hand cover my own. She guided my hand into writing the correct answer. A bolt of electricity shot up my hand and down my spine. I couldn't even think properly, let alone breathe.

_'I-I...Uh-Un...Wh-Wah_—_HUH?'_

There I was: Richest boy in all of Japan. Heir of the Uchiha Clan, most popular person in my whole high school, second top of my class, varsity basketball captain, member of the soccer team, prodigy…

...And my brain had turned to mush because of a _girl_.

Ladies and gentlemen, I have officially lost my dignity.

My shoulders tensed even more when Sakura leaned too close for her own good. Our heads were side by side, her chin above my right shoulder. Sakura giggled and whispered in my ear, "Relax, Uchiha-san. I don't bite."

I barely contained myself from grabbing her, slamming her onto my desk, and completely violating her.

I would relax if she would stop... _fondling_ my friggin' hand!

The heat in my body intensified tenfold, especially in my stomach. My face turned bright red and my cheeks burned. Uncomfortable with the sudden heat within me, I frowned and shifted slightly.

I drew air harshly into my oxygen-starved lungs when Sakura _finally_ let go of my hand and sat back in her seat, hoping she didn't noticed my strange breathing. I felt extremely light-headed and on the verge of fainting. How manly...

We sat in complete silence for about fifteen minutes.

"Here, I'm done," I stated, handing back the work sheet. My sixteen-year-old tutor riffled through her bag and pulled out a red pen. She began correcting my completed calculus problems. Her head was bent forwards, causing her pink bangs to shield part of her face. Sakura brought her free hand up to her mouth and started to nibble on her nails.

"You still do that?" I asked.

"Do what?" she questioned. Sakura cutely tilted her head to the side in confusion.

Dang, I was so tempted to lean in and kiss her.

"Bite your nails when you're concentrating or nervous," I answered, pointing to the finger nails she was biting. "You've had that habit since third grade."

"Yeah, it's a bad habit I can't seem to get rid of." The green-eyed girl laughed weakly, removing her nails from her mouth. Her cheeks turned a bright shade of pink.

"Remember when the teacher gave you detention for biting your nails because he thought it was gross? I swear, that teacher was an idiot," I scoffed, scowling. That teacher was a total jerk.

"Yeah, but it was kind of weird he got fired the next day, huh? Karma perhaps?" Sakura questioned.

"Aa," I agreed, smirking. Ah, the wonders one can do with a bribable principal and an unlimited credit card... That guy got what he deserved for putting 'Sakura' in the same sentence as 'revolting'.

"It's a disgusting habit, though. I really should stop," she sighed, looking embarrassed.

"It's not disgusting. I think its ador—"

I abruptly cut off and mentally slapped myself. 'ADORABLE!' If I called her that, then she would just laugh in my face. I was already _painfully_ aware she didn't like me. I didn't think my ego could take another beating.

"Hn," I grunted, trying to cover up my mistake. Sakura's eyes were on me, but I refused to meet her gaze. Giving up, she looked away and shook her head. For a supposedly smart girl, she sure was dense...

"It's getting late. I should drop you off," I said, standing up and grabbing my keys. She put her things together and followed me out of the house and into my car. During the whole drive, we had a heated discussion about _Ultimate Ninja 8_. I don't think I've ever talked so much in my life.

"When you reach the forbidden forest, take the path on the right," I instructed her as I drove over the brigde that linked our two towns together, "The left path leads to a dead end. Keep going until you reach Orochimaru's lair. Defeat him and you win."

"How do you defeat him?" Sakura asked eagerly. Her eyes danced with excitement behind her thick frames.

"You're a smart girl. You'll figure it out." I smirked just to get on her nerves.

Frowning, Sakura pouted and stuck her tongue out at me like a two-year-old. I chuckled at her childish ways. She was so easy to rile up. It was really... nice. It brought back a lot of memories from when we were younger. Man, I was an _idiot_ for avoiding her all these years.

I glanced at my necklace, reminding myself why I had avoided her and why I was trying to rekindle my friendship with her.

_'She just turned sixteen. I have two whole years... I shouldn't move too fast; it might scare her off.'_

Lifting my gaze back unto the road, I continued to converse with Sakura.

Hiding my scowl, I realized we had already reached the Haruno estate. I should've drove slower...

"Thanks for letting me borrow your game," Sakura said while clutching the video game to her chest and getting out of my car. "See you tomorrow!"

I nodded and pulled out of her massive circle driveway. I had a smirk plastered on my face while I was driving back home, feeling the happiest I've felt in years. Then, wheels started to turn in my head and pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place.

Abruptly, I slammed on the brakes.

I, Uchiha Sasuke, had just realized I that was in love with Haruno Sakura.

"_**SON OF A BI**_—"

_End of fourth chapter_

XXXXX

**(1) **This is a line that my American guy friend said to my Filipino guy friend as a joke. We all cracked up!

**(2) **I just learned the English word 'simultaneously' today. I'm sorry if I didn't use it correctly.

**Author's notes: **When I was writing the ShikaIno scene, I would use narutopedia so I got my facts about the characters right. In the anime, Shikamaru describes his ideal wife to Naruto, so the scene in the cafeteria was inspired by that episode. Please answer these questions in your review: **WHY DO YOU GUYS LIKE MY SASUKE P.O.V. SO MUCH? O.o **And **IS NEJI AND HINATA'S FAMILY NAME SPELLED HYUUGA OR HYUGA? **

(I'm confused because people keep spelling it differently...) Please review!

Kalahngan,

Teddy

P.S.

I've been volunteering at the hospital, so I'm sorry if the updates are slower than what you guys prefer.


	5. Overprotective

Old A.N.: **THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE HUNDRED** **REVIEWS! IT MEANS A LOT!**

**DEDICATION: **THE FIFTH CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO **cutecookiechick **FOR BEING MY **300TH REVIEWER**! THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT!

The fifth chapter was beta'd by **Chii Saino Kuratsu**, so if anything is mispelled... Just blame it on her ;) LoL. Thanks for beta-ing this chapter Christine!

**Special Mentioning: MitsukiAnime **aka **Nikki**, my fanfiction friend who recently recovered from an accident. She's like the little sister I never had. ^_^ Keeping you in my prayers, girlie! ...Oh, and hi **Joe**. LoL XD I read your PM. That was undeniably the _**CUTEST **_thing I have ever read! It sorta inspired me to write again...

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

...

**Chapter Five: Overprotective**

XXXXX

**SHIKAMARU'S P.O.V. (Monday: Nighttime)**

"Dude..."

"Whoa... Just... Whoa..."

"HOLY SHI—"

"I get it already. Shut up."

The three of us stared flabbergasted at the impassive-looking Uchiha. He had just dropped a bombshell on us, yet he spoke as if he was merely relaying the weather.

After dinner at the Yamanaka's, I received a text from Naruto saying that everyone was hanging out at the Hyuuga Mansion. I dropped off my mom at our home and headed over. The four of us including Tenten, who happened to be the only female on the soccer team, were discussing different strategies for Friday's game in Neji's room. As soon as Tenten left to Hinata's room, Sasuke decided to deliver some startling news.

"You...How...Whe—YOU'RE IN LOVE WITH SAKURA?" Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the front of his black shirt and shook him repeatedly.

"Dobe, let go of me!" The peeved seventeen-year-old shoved the blonde maniac away and punched him in the gut. Naruto clutched his aching stomach, rolling around on the carpeted floor and swearing to get revenge on his best friend.

"You guys are overreacting," Sasuke complained, straightening his shirt and necklace.

"Yeah, but that's because we never thought that you'd actually _admit _it." Neji pointed out, pale eyes wide with shock from Sasuke's confession.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, rolling his dark eyes in annoyance. Naruto slowly sat up, glaring at Sasuke.

"So I take it that you'll be telling her soon?" I asked from my spot at the window seat where I had been gazing at the darkened sky.

Sasuke shook his head and cupped the back of his neck, leaning back in the recliner. "It's not that simple. Today, she told me she doesn't think of me... _that way_."

"Ouch... Sorry, Teme." Naruto shot Sasuke a sympathetic look, completely forgetting about getting even.

"That sucks," Neji said, "So what are you planning on doing now?"

"I only have eleven days left. Drastic times call for drastic measures. I'm resorting to Plan B," answered Sasuke.

"You mean S.O.S.? Dang, you must be really desperate!" Naruto yelled, earning him a death glare from the annoyed Uchiha.

"S.O.S.?" Neji shifted on his bed, appearing slightly confused.

Slowly, a smirk made it's way onto the seventeen-year-old's pale face. "Seduction Of Sakura."

Neji scoffed loudly, "Pfft, you don't even know the first thing about flirting, so how the hell do you expect to seduce her? You haven't even had a girlfriend yet."

"Neji, Teme practically has more than half of the school's population wrapped around his finger," Naruto shrugged, "How hard could it be?"

"So what are you planning on doing?" I inquired. Sasuke shrugged and said, "I honestly have no clue."

"Hey, Ino!" Naruto greeted out of the blue.

Neji, Sasuke, and I whipped our heads towards the blonde intruder who stood in Neji's doorway.

Ino smiled, causing my I.Q. to drop 160 points. Heat crept up the back of my neck as I stared dumbly at her. Turning away to peer at the full moon, I tried to calm myself down.

"Mendōkusei..."

"Neji, where's Hinata? I came to drop off her history notes that I borrowed. I already checked her bedroom, but she's not in there."

"She's probably in the kitchen. Tenten is here too and earlier she was complaining that she's hungry." I heard Neji answer.

"Alright, thanks." Ino was about to leave when Naruto called out, "WAIT!"

The seventeen-year-old head cheerleader paused and raised a plucked eyebrow. "Yes?" I looked up and noticed she had some flour in her hair. Probably from preparing dinner.

Naruto's blue eyes crinkled as he asked, "You're a girl, right?"

"Excuse me?" Ino looked positively offended while the three of us shot the idiot a look that read 'What the heck?'.

"I mean, you know what girls like right?" Naruto corrected himself quickly, fearing Ino's wrath.

"I guess..." Ino trailed off, confused along with the rest of us.

Naruto cocked his head to the side and asked, "How do you get a girl to like you?"

"WHAT?" screeched Ino. Not only was she bossy, but she was _loud_. Perfect. I might be falling for a girl who sounds like she speaks through a microphone whenever she talks. Just perfect.

KPHS's resident prankster shrugged, looking like the epitome of innocence. "One of my basketball teammates asked me for girl advice. I've never had a girlfriend, so I thought I'd just ask a girl instead."

"Okay, that makes sense."

Bossy, loud, _and stupid_. I hit the friggin' jackpot.

I grumbled, "Mendōkusei..."

"Hmm..." Ino placed hands on her hips and pursed her lips together. "Advise him that flirting is always a good start. Light touches and cuddling always works. Since your friend is a basketball player, he probably is muscular, so have him walk around shirtless in front of her to flaunt his abs. Smile for her." Ino paused. Her sky blue orbs locked with mine as her expression grew serious. "Show the girl a side of you no one else gets to see. It'll make her feel special and fall for you. Hard."

My heart lurched and my gut jerked, almost causing me to empty the contents of my stomach. It was almost as if she was talking _directly to me_.

Naruto nodded and said, "Thanks, Ino. I'll be sure to tell him."

"No problem." Ino broke eye contact with me to look at Naruto, allowing me to let out a breath I wasn't aware I was holding. She waved a blue notebook in the air. "Well, I need to give Hinata her notes." With that said, she left.

"Dobe, what was that for?" Sasuke gestured to the doorway where Ino was standing just a few seconds ago.

Naruto face-palmed and muttered something that sounded like 'Idiot...' under his breath.

"Okay, here's what you're going to do..."

**SAKURA'S P.O.V. (Tuesday: Morning)**

It was third period. The second bell hadn't rung, so a couple students (including Sasuke) hadn't shown up for physics yet. My physics class, which consisted of only thirteen students, was my smallest class. Most of the seniors had signed up for environmental science to avoid taking physics.

Asuma-sensei was writing an equation up on the computerized board. Neji, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Naruto were located a the middle of the physics lab. Naruto and Kiba were tossing around a bright orange foam football. Shikamaru and Neji were just talking, probably discussing something that had to do with sports. I guessed that the only reason why they signed up for this class was because they knew their fangirls were too dumb to take it.

Shou and my lab partner Tadao were joking around in the back, laughing obnoxiously. Takehiko and his long-time girlfriend Ayumi were making googly eyes at each other from their place near the window. The two had been going out since freshman year. They looked pretty cute together. Tenten and I were seated at the front of the physics lab. She forced me to relay everything that happened during the tutoring session yesterday. Just thinking about it caused my face to heat up and butterflies to flutter in my stomach. By the time I was done talking, my entire face was red.

Asuma-sensei stopped writing and glanced at his watch; he then made his way to the storage room located at the back of the physics lab. Taking out a key from his pocket and inserting it into the keyhole, he opened the storage room door. Our physics teacher pushed the doorstop down with his foot to keep the door from swinging shut.

"Sakura," Asuma-sensei called, "Shou."

"Yes?" the two of us responded simultaneously.

"There are two blue boxes filled with light bulbs on the top shelf in the storage room. Shou and Sakura, I want the two of you to distribute a light bulb to each of your classmates. Today, we will be discussing electricity and we will use the light bulbs for an experiment." Asuma-sensei explained. "Be sure close the door right after you're done. It locks automatically. Oh, and don't close the door or put up the doorstop. If you do, you'll be locked in."

I nodded obediently. Shou jerked his head up and down, his silver eyes flashing with mischief. He turned his brunette head to whisper conspiratorially with Tadao. A couple moments passed before...

"**NO**!" Four male voices shouted.

I jumped in my seat and whipped around to face the boys. Neji, Shikamaru, Naruto, and Kiba all looked oddly tense and panicked. Naruto was the first to recover. Scratching the back of his head sheepishly, the blonde Uzumaki cleared his throat and spoke, "I mean... Uh... Let me pass out the light bulbs with Shou! I wanna do it!"

Our physics instructor sent the hyperactive boy a withering look. "Naruto, the last time I allowed you in the storage room, you knocked over the chemicals and lit the physics lab on fire."

"Hey! At least my father paid for the damages..." Naruto argued lamely, turning pink. Asuma-sensei mumbled something about rich, spoiled kids under his breath. "Thank you for offering, but I'm pretty sure Sakura is perfectly capable of helping Shou do such a simple task. Plus, she is more trustworthy."

Naruto stumbled over his words, as if he wanted to debate the teacher's decision but had no idea what to say. Instantaneously, all four boys' eyes shifted to glare warningly at Shou.

"What the heck was their problem?" Tenten asked, staring curiously at the boys. I shrugged.

"Neji," Asuma-sensei said, glancing at his watch again, "I need to go talk to the principal. I'm leaving you in charge until I get back. Make sure there is no rough housing." Neji nodded stiffly, his narrowed pale eyes still locked on Shou.

Okay, seriously, what was up with them?

The second bell had rung by the time Asuma-sensei was out the door. I sighed and stood up, heading into the storage room. Flicking the light switch on, my glass rimmed eyes roamed the top shelf for the blue boxes. Suddenly, I heard yells, then the door of the storage room slammed shut. I whipped around, terrified.

"Hey, Sakura!" Shou greeted cheerfully. The brunette senior was the epitome of innocence as he leaned against the shut door.

"Shou, you idiot! Why did you shut the door? Now we're locked in!" I yelled. Shou grabbed the door knob and tried to turn it. It didn't open.

"Huh. Would you look at that," the eighteen-year-old basketball player said nonchalantly, "My bad. I didn't know it would lock by itself."

_'Yeah, and Naruto hates ramen.'_

I tried to take a step away from him, but my back hit the shelves behind me. Wincing, I noticed how small the storage room was. _'Dang it...'_

"Sakura!" I heard Tenten's voice yell from the outside. Pushing aside Shou none too gently, I banged against the steel door. "Tenten, you have to get us out of here!"

"Hold on. Apparently, Asuma-sensei is the only one who has the key. You'll have to wait until he gets back. It won't take long." Tenten explained.

_'Great. Just great.'_

I groaned and slumped against one of the shelves. Pulling out my green music player from my pocket, I stuck the ear buds in my ears and blasted my music. My eyes closed shut as I waited patiently.

A startled cry escaped my throat when Shou crouched down before me and tugged the ear bud out of my left ear.

"What was that for?" I screeched. Usually, I tended to be shy around people I didn't know and wouldn't raise my voice, but this boy was _seriously _getting on my nerves.

He smiled cockily, sat down against the shelf across from me, and quietly said, "I'm bored. I want you to entertain me."

I rolled my eyes from behind my glasses. Sato Shou was known as the school's 'player'. He was the typical heart breaker. Or man whore. It all depends on how you view him. He'll flirt with anything in a skirt. The eighteen-year-old basketball player would date any girl from the cheer squad to the geeky girls in band. A rumor was going around that he's slept with more than half of the girls at Konoha Private High School—which wasn't hard to believe considering that KPHS only had two-hundred students in total. I'll admit that Shou was somewhat good-looking, but he wasn't my type. He was nothing but a spoiled, stuck-up, conceited brat.

Grimacing at the way he winked at me, I shoved his shoulder to make some space between us.

"Get away from me!" I screamed, then lowered my voice to a deadly hiss, "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be stuck in storage room for who knows how long." In the back of my mind, I registered the fact that there was an awful lot of noise coming from outside the storage room a.k.a my current prison. Shou ignored my request to be left alone and turned on his charm, starting to flirt like crazy. I groaned in irritation and opened my eyes wearily. "Later, okay?" I said, hoping to pacify him and his strange need to talk to me. "I'm not in a very talkative mood right now."

"Fine, we'll talk later when you're in a better mood. Promise?" The eighteen-year-old senior stuck out his pinkie childishly. Hesitantly, my pinkie curled around his in a silent promise. Shou smiled brightly at me and stuck the ear bud back in my ear for me. The music filtering through the earphones completely blocked out any other noise. I adjusted my glasses and closed my eyes yet again.

After a couple minutes, the ear buds were yanked out of my ears. My eyes opened in a flash and I glared murderous at the boy would stood in front of me. Before I could yell at Shou, he cut me off by saying, "The door is open."

"FREEDOM!"

I jumped to my feet and sprinted out of the storage room. Full of relief, I hurled myself at the tall figure that held the door open. My arms wrapped around their neck as my face buried itself in their chest, practically crushing the person. The person hesitantly returned the hug. Smiling widely and squeezing my eyes shut, I chanted, "Arigatou! Arigatou! Ariga—"

"Aww, baby!" Shou cried dramatically from behind me. "Already in the arms of another guy? And with _Sasuke _no less? Don't play with my heart like that!"

The world stood still. The person—who, to my utter mortification, turned out to be _Sasuke_—I was hugging tightened his grip on me. Hesitantly, I raised my head slightly to get a glimpse of his reaction. What I saw caused me to swallow. Hard.

**NEJI'S P.O.V. (Tuesday: Morning) **

"Forty-nine! Sixty-seven! Fifty-four! Twenty-five! Seventy-two! Thirty-on—"

"GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!"

"Fine! Geez... Hike!"

"Kiba, go long!" Naruto commanded, hurling the toy football through the air. Kiba ran across to the other side of the physics lab, positioning himself to catch the bright orange ball. The foam football landed safely in the seventeen-year-old Inuzuka's outstretched arms.

"Touch down!" Kiba and Naruto started doing their moronic victory dance.

Shikamaru jerked his thumb in their direction. "Remind me... why are we friends with those two idiots?"

"I ask myself that question everyday." I responded, shaking my head at their stupidity.

"Where's Sasuke?" Shikamaru yawned, rubbing his forehead.

"He had to talk to Gai-sensei about our game coming up. He'll be here soon."

A loud burst of laughter caught my attention and I turned my head towards the back of the physics lab. It was Sato Shou and Kicho Tadao.

I didn't really know Tadao very well, but I was acquainted with Shou since he was on the basketball team. Shou was a semi-decent basketball player, but his teamwork skills sucked. The only reason why Sasuke hadn't kicked Shou off the team yet was because he could shoot one heck of a three-pointer. The ability to piss off people came naturally to him, but the thing that Shou does that really ticks me off was when he'd brag about his latest conquest. I was surprised he hadn't contracted an STD yet... Back when we were only freshmen, he made some sick bet with Tadao, his best friend, that he'd sleep with every girl at KPHS by the time we graduate.

Shou kept a small book called 'The Black List' to write down the names of the girls he'd been with. All of us guys on the basketball team made sure to keep our girls _far _away from him. So far, he's been smart enough to stay away from Tenten. Good. It better stay that way.

Kiba and Naruto finally calmed down. Both of them came over to sit on top of desks in front of Shikamaru and me. The two started babbling while Shikamaru and I remained silent.

"Sakura," I heard Asuma-sensei call, "Shou."

The four of us turned our heads to see Asuma-sensei standing near open door of the storage room at the back of the classroom.

"Yes?" responded both Sakura and Shou.

"There are two blue boxes filled with light bulbs on the top shelf in the storage room. Shou and Sakura, I want the two of you to distribute a light bulb to each of your classmates. Today, we will be discussing electricity and we will use the light bulbs for an experiment." Asuma-sensei explained. "Be sure close the door right after you're done. It locks automatically. Oh, and don't close the door or put up the doorstop while you're inside. If you do, you'll be locked in."

Sakura's mop of fizzy pink hair shook as she nodded her head. Shou also nodded, checking out Sakura subtly. I didn't like what I saw lurking in the depths of his silver eyes. The brunette turned towards Tadao and whispered, "Looks like I'll have another name to add to 'The Black List'."

Naruto's blue eyes bulged out of it's sockets. "Did you guys hear that? Shou is gonna black list Sakura! Imagine how Sasuke would react if he found out!"

The four of us instantly froze, eyes widening in horror. All we could imagine was blood. Blood everywhere.

"**NO**!"

Our outburst startled everyone in the classroom. If Shou was alone with Sakura in the storage room, he could easily take advantage of her. The four of us just sat there, tense and panicked. Then, Naruto cleared his throat while scratching the back of his head in a shy manner.

"I mean... Uh... Let me pass out the light bulbs with Shou! I wanna do it!" Asuma-sensei gave the blonde a withering look. "Naruto, the last time I allowed you in the storage room, you knocked over the chemicals and lit the physics lab on fire."

"Hey! At least my father paid for the damages..." I nearly smacked Naruto. Idiot.

Asuma-sensei mumbled something under his breath and sighed. "Thank you for offering, but I'm pretty sure Sakura is perfectly capable of helping Shou do such a simple task. Plus, she is more trustworthy."

Naruto sputtered out a slur of incomprehensible words before giving up. As a last resort, all of our eyes shifted to glare warningly at Shou. The brunette teenager paid no heed.

"Neji," Asuma-sensei called, "I need to go talk to the principal. I'm leaving you in charge until I get back. Make sure there is no rough housing." I nodded my head stiffly, still glaring at Shou.

The second bell had rung by the time Asuma-sensei was out the door. Sakura sighed and stood up, heading into the storage room. Shou bumped fists with Tadao before swaggering over to the storage room after Sakura. My muscles tensed when I saw him grab the door handle and send a wink in Tadao's direction.

Realization dawned on me. Shou was going to—

_**Bam!**_

—lock himself and Sakura in the storage room...

"That little _punk_!" shrieked Naruto. The four of us along with Tenten jumped out of our seats and sprinted towards the locked door.

Tenten pushed us aside and called, "Sakura!"

"Tenten, you have to get us out of here!" Sakura screamed, her voice muffled by the steel door.

"Hold on. Apparently, Asuma-sensei is the only one who has the key. You'll have to wait until he gets back. It won't take long." Tenten explained.

"Who's in there?"

_'You have got to be _kidding _me!'_

We all froze, wincing as we recognized the voice from behind us. Slowly, the four of us turned around.

It was Sasuke.

"Oh, heh... Hey, Teme." Naruto greeted, smiling falsely.

The bored-looking Uchiha crossed his arms over his chest and asked in his monotone voice, "Did someone get locked in the storage room again?"

This wasn't the first time someone had gotten trapped in the storage room. It had happened numerous times before. Tadao had been locked in there just last week. Tenten had accidently gotten locked in there about three weeks ago. Ayumi accidently closed the storage door on the first day of school and was locked inside. Naruto had been trapped in there countless times.

"Pfft! No, we're just... Uh... You know..." Kiba gesticulated wildly, trying to come up with an excuse, but was cut off by a screech coming from inside the storage room.

Our basketball captain craned his neck to look over our shoulders. "Who's in there?"

Naruto opened his big trap and said, "It's Sakura... But don't worry! She's _completely alone _in there!"

Sasuke didn't appear to be worried that Sakura was locked in the storage room, seeing as it was a common occurrence, but he was _very _suspicious with the way we were all acting.

"Get away from me!"

Sasuke instantly stiffened when he heard Sakura's scream, his eyes widening a fraction. He lunged for the door. We tried to block him, but after a few minutes he managed to push us away and banged his fist urgently against the steel door.

"Sakura?" bellowed Sasuke.

"Yeah, she's in here. And don't worry. She's fine!" a familiar male voice replied. Confusion flashed over the teenage Uchiha's features before realization sunk in.

"SHOU?" roared Sasuke, "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON? WHY ARE YOU IN THERE WITH SAKURA?"

"Calm down! Geez... I accidently closed the door and now we're locked inside."

"_'Accidently'?_" Sasuke echoed, totally losing it. He smirked, his jaw tightening, and pointed towards the door while saying sarcastic manner, "Did you hear that guys? It was an accident!"

Then, Sasuke's face darkened as his expression turned murderous.

"GET OUT THE HELL OF THERE THIS INSTANT!"

Sasuke pounded his fists against the steel door to emphasize how serious he was. The four of us were smart enough not to interrupt Sasuke during one of his temper tantrums. Meanwhile, Tenten and the other three students in the class just stood there gaping at the enraged teenage Uchiha's behavior.

"As you can clearly see, genius, we're _locked _inside. Meaning, I can't even get out if I wanted to."

Sasuke's eyes had a red tint to them as he fisted his hands, his knuckles turning white. The veins on his neck and near his temple protruded, twitching. He exhaled slowly. Gritting his teeth, he hissed, "I swear, if you touch Sakura..." The enraged Uchiha let the threat hang, his jaw clenching.

Shou scoffed and retorted, "I don't need your permission. I could touch Sakura _wherever _and _whenever _I want."

An eerie silence fell over the class, just like the calm before the storm.

Sasuke exploded.

"THAT'S IT! I'M GOING RIP THIS DOOR OFF IT'S HINGES! THEN AFTERWARDS, I'M GOING TO DRAG YOUR SORRY ASS OUT AND RIP **YOU **APART! DO YOU HEAR THAT YOU _MOTHAFU_—"

"What on earth is going on in here?" A booming voice cut off Sasuke's angry rant. The six of us whipped round to find Asuma-sensei standing right behind us. Sasuke, pissed off beyond belief, grabbed Asuma-sensei by his collar and yanked him forward.

"Key. _Now_." Sasuke ordered cryptically. His red-tinted eyes bored mercilessly into Asuma's. Our physics teacher, rolling his eyes, carefully pried Sasuke's fingers off of his fingers and calmly handed him the key to the storage room. The seventeen-year-old basketball captain wasted no time and had the storage room door open in a blink of the eye.

"FREEDOM!"

Sakura sprinted out of the storage room and pounced on Sasuke. As soon as Sakura had tackled him into a hug, Sasuke made a barely audible, weird choking sound. The young Uchiha almost lost his footing from the abrupt impact, completely taken aback. His blinding rage was replaced with utter bewilderment.

It took a lot of will power not to laugh at the sight before me: Sasuke—unemotional, indifferent, aloof, brooding _Sasuke_—was **blushing**.

His ears were red and his cheeks were tinged a light shade of pink. The seventeen-year-old Uchiha looked like he was going to have a panic attack. His eyes darted nervously around the room, frightened. The poor guy looked lost and scared.

Sasuke may seem perfectly composed on the outside, but I knew better. He and I had been friends ever since we were babies, so I noticed certain things about him that normal people would miss. Like how Sasuke's arms were slightly shaking as they came up to hesitantly wrap around Sakura. Or how he kept his hold on her loose, as if she was fragile and he could easily break her. Or how his onyx eyes softened ever so slightly as he stared down at the girl in his arms.

Sakura chanted, "Arigatou! Arigatou! Ariga—"

"Aww, baby!" Shou stepped out of the storage room, clutching his chest in fake heart-break, "Already in the arms of another guy? And with _Sasuke _no less? Don't play with my heart like that!"

_'Man, this guy needs to learn when to shut up.'_

The class nerd stiffened considerably in the high school heartthrob's arms. Sakura reluctantly lifted her eyes, hidden by thick, black-framed glasses, to stare up at the Uchiha heir. Her eyes bulged out of their sockets as she gulped audibly. Frowning in confusion, my brown eyes strayed from her to land on my best friend.

Sasuke was _pissed_.

**SASUKE'S P.O.V.**

That little _prick_.

Was he suicidal? Was he purposely trying to piss me off? Seriously, it was as if this guy was _begging _to get beaten up. I wanted to rip out his piercing and kick him in the face.

My arms instinctively tightened around Sakura as Shou took a step closer. There was no way in _hell _I was letting that jerk within a hundred yards of Sakura.

My narrowed eyes drifted towards the storage room, causing my imagination to run wild. I imagined Shou grabbing Sakura with his disgusting hands, trapping her like some sort of sick predator; his filthy mouth inching its way towards her and—

An involuntary, low growl erupted from my throat. The violent urge to do some physical damage churned relentlessly in my gut. The muscles in my shoulders felt tight and my neck was straining to keeping myself from lashing out. The only thing that kept me from stomping over and swinging at him was the girl in my arms.

But I wanted to punch him. Badly.

_'I'm gonna kill him, I'm literally going to kill him. I'm going to bash his pretty little face in, break his legs, rip his lungs out, and—'_

"Sakura, hand over your music device this instant. You know the rules. Electronics are not allowed on campus." Asuma-sensei reprimanded, breaking the tense silence. Our physics instructor held out his hand with his palm upturned. Everyone's attention was diverted for a moment. It was then that I noticed the white earphones dangling about her shoulders, the thin chord leading into the pocket of her baggy sweater.

"Oh, sorry sensei," Sakura colored, obviously not used to being in trouble. My flushed tutor cleared her throat and whispered, "Umm... Uchiha-san? Can you please let go of me?" The rage that once filled my system was replaced by embarrassment. I hastily retracted my arms, my ears heating up.

She stepped towards Asuma-sensei and handed the music player over. "I apologize. I wasn't sure how long we would stuck in there, so I was listening to music to pass the time."

_'What?'_

Our physics teacher pocketed the device and headed into the storage room to fetch the boxes of light bulbs himself. It was blatantly obvious he didn't want anyone else going in there after what just happened.

"Wait, let me get this straight." Kiba rubbed his temple. "You were just listening to your music player the whole time you and Shou were locked in the storage room?"

The sixteen-year-old senior nodded her head in a confused manner, frizzy pink hair bobbing with her movements.

"Then why did you scream?" asked Neji.

"And why did you yell 'get away from me'?" added Shikamaru.

Sakura blushed, looking uncomfortable when she noticed everyone in the classroom was staring at her and waiting for her to answer. She bowed her head, causing her long bangs to cover her glasses.

"Because Sato-san kept pulling on my earphones to annoy me," she answered quietly, chewing on her fingernails.

"So that pervert," Naruto jerked his thumb rudely in Shou's direction, "didn't touch you?"

_'Way to be subtle, dobe.'_

She shook her head, exchanging a curious look with Tenten. Tenten shrugged, appearing equally confused. An awkward silence filled the classroom.

"Well," Asuma-sensei came out of the storage room and made his way to the front with the light bulbs in hand, "Let's start on today's lesson. To your seats, students."

Everyone dispersed from the small circle we had formed at the back of the classroom. Purposely slamming my shoulder into Shou's side, I caused him to stumble before quickly regaining his footing. I loomed over him and glared.

"Don't think I'm stupid. I know what you're planning. Stay the _hell _away from Sakura."

Shou broke eye-contact under the pretense of rolling his eyes. "Tch. Why do you even care? She's just a girl. Stop acting like an overprotective boyfriend."

I tensed. There was a pregnant pause. Shou's silver orbs narrowed into slits, noticing how I stiffened and my refusal to respond. The wheels started to turn in his head as his eyes widened.

"You _like _her, don't you?"

_'...Shit.'_

"No, I don't," I denied, not sounding nearly as convincing as I wanted to. "She's my calculus tutor and I don't need you distracting her."

Shou laughed. "Yeah, you keep telling yourself that..." The moron patted my tense shoulder, eyes crinkled with amusement. I glared and shook his hand off of me. "Wow, I never knew you had a thing for nerds, Sasuke. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. But just know this: As long as Sakura's single, she's fair game. Unless... you already staked a claim on her?" The infamous player raised an eyebrow in question.

I cracked my knuckles. He shut up.

**Boys' Locker Room (Tuesday: 4th Period)**

"You like her, don't you?"

Déjà vu much?

I slipped on my gym uniform t-shirt and adjusted my necklace before turning towards the asker of the question, Takehiko.

"Hn?"

The long-haired blonde rolled his eyes and leaned against his locker, playing around with a basketball. "Sasuke, you may be a lot of things, but stupid isn't one of them," he sighed in exasperation, "Tell me the truth. Are you in love with that Haruno girl?"

_'How the f—?'_

"No."

"Ah," Takehiko ceased spinning the basketball on his index finger and passed it to me, "In denial, eh?"

"Mind your own business, Takehiko." I warned, my ears heating up as I scowled. I turned my head to the right, then the left. The locker room was completely empty. All the boys had already gone into the gym. The green-eyed teenager threw his hands up in surrender. "Fine, fine... But I _know _you like her."

"What gave you that impression?"

Takehiko's mouth slowly curved into a smile and his eyes had a far-off look to them. "Because you look at Sakura the same way I look at Ayumi." With that said, Takehiko pushed off of his locker and exited the boys' locker room.

"Freak." I muttered under my breath, following him out of the locker room. The basketball made thudding noises as I dribbled it while walking out the door. Suddenly, all eyes were on me. It was so _annoying _to be stared at all the time.

Gai-sensei and Anko-sensei, our gym teachers, had the boys line up on one side and the girls line up on the other. We had co-ed P.E., but the guys and girls did separate activities most of the time. My eyes scanned the line adjacent to the one I was in. I spotted Sakura instantly. A smirk slowly made it's way up to my face.

"Commencing Operation S.O.S."

**SAKURA'S P.O.V.**

"Does this uniform make me look fat?"

"Nah, it makes you look humungous."

Ino smacked Tenten upside the head. I rolled my eyes at their childish behavior.

The four of us walked out of the girls' locker room and entered the gym that contained the whole senior class, fifty students. I never really liked gym class. Sure, I was on a gymnastics team when I was younger, but I couldn't throw a ball straight to save my life. I sucked so much as basketball and soccer that I was always the last to get picked for a team.

The bell rang as I stood in the girls' line, tugging on my gym uniform. The girls' gym uniforms consisted of red, mid-thigh shorts and a white t-shirt with the school's logo on it. The boys' gym uniforms were the same, except that they wore red basketball pants.

Sasuke was standing in the boys' line on the opposite side of the gym. The seventeen-year-old basketball captain stood there will a stoic look on his face, holding a basketball to his hip. He looked so **hot **in his P.E. uniform.

I saw Sasuke's onyx eyes scan the girls' line. Our eyes met. He gave me a small smirk, his dark eyes having a mischievous glint to them. A hot flush instantly covered my cheeks and butterflies filled my stomach. I returned it with a shy smile before looking away and adjusting my glasses. My fist clenched in an attempt not to bite my nails.

Anko-sensei and Gai-sensei stood in the middle of the gym. Anko-sensei stepped forward and said, "Tomorrow we will be having a physical test. All of you will have to make three free-throws out of five tries."

"WHAT?"

Suddenly all eyes were on me. Quickly ducked my head, my hands nervously fiddled with my shirt. I _hated _attention. Ignoring my outburst, Gai-sensei did his moronic pose and yelled, "But for now, enjoy some youthful free time!" Everyone cheered while I groaned in agony, covering my bowed face with my hands. My classmates got out of the line and started chatting or playing basketball.

You've got to be kidding me! I didn't even know how to dribble a basketball, let alone shoot three free-throws! How the heck was I supposed to learn how to shoot a free-throw in twenty-four hours?

I felt fingers gently pry my hands from my face and lower them. It was Sasuke. Suddenly, I forgot how to breathe and my heart started beating crazily fast. I noticed he was no longer holding a basketball. Looking down to see our joined hands, caused me to blush a bright shade of red. Sasuke was still holding my right hand in his, but he didn't seem to notice nor care.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, his face expressionless.

"N-Nothing! E-Everything is f-fine!" I stuttered, looking away. I felt Sasuke's calloused hand gently grip my chin and tilt my head up, forcing me to look at him. His touch sent tingles down my spine as I turned a horrible purple-ish color.

"That's a load of bull. Just tell me already." Sasuke commanded, appearing slightly annoyed. I sighed. I knew he wouldn't leave me alone until I told him.

"I'm worried about the physical test tomorrow. I can't shoot a free-throw to save my life! Now, I'll fail P.E. and that'll bring my whole GPA down!" I groaned, lowering my head. Sasuke let go of me and shoved his hands into the pockets of his basketball shorts. There was a moment of silence before Sasuke spoke.

"I'll teach you."

"W-What?" I snapped my head upwards.

"I'll teach you how to shoot a free-throw. I taught Naruto and Shikamaru everything they know about basketball. Since you're not an idiot or lazy like they are, I bet you'll pick it up fast."

"It's okay! I wouldn't want you to waste your time." I refused.

"Sakura, I wasn't _asking _you. I was _telling _you. Consider it repayment for tutoring me. Right after our tutoring session, we'll head to my basketball court and I'll teach you." Sasuke said, leaving no room for argument.

"Okay, Uh... Thanks." I smiled at him nervously. He nodded and walked away. After Sasuke left, I noticed that all of Sasuke's fangirls had witnessed the whole exchange and were now death glaring me.

_'Great, now I have to sleep with my eyes open...'_

**TENTEN'S P.O.V.**

It was P.E. class and I was standing next to the bleachers, playing with a soccer ball. Sakura, Ino, and Hinata were talking about Sasuke offering to teach Sakura how to shoot a free-throw after their tutoring session. I've been suspecting that Sasuke has feelings for Sakura, especially after the incident that happened in third period, but I wasn't absolutely sure, so I kept my mouth shut. No use in giving the girl false hopes.

I was dribbling the soccer ball when it rolled away because I kicked it wrong. Running after it, my hands reached out to pick it up when someone beat me to it. I looked up to see Keanu holding my soccer ball.

"Hey, Tenten." Keanu smiled. Hosaka Keanu was one of my teammates on the soccer team. He had short, spiked, blue hair and tanned skin. Lately, people had been saying that he liked me, but I assumed it was just a rumor.

"Here." He handed me the ball and scratched the back of his head in a nervous manner.

"Thanks, Keanu!" I flashed him a big grin while holding the soccer ball in my hands.

He stuffed his hand into his pockets. "Are you ready for the game on Friday?"

"Yup!" I chirped. Being the only girl on the boys' soccer team was fun, but also a pain in the butt. I have to wear a stupid boy wig when we're competing against another team because the opposing team might refuse to take me seriously since I was a girl. I was the school's little secret. My teammates didn't care about the fact that I was a girl and accepted me despite my gender. Everyone on my team was really nice. Well, _almost _everyone...

The team captain, Hyuuga Neji a.k.a. my best friend, was an unemotional, self-centered jerk!

...Okay, I'll admit that he has his moments were he's incredibly sweet, but most of the time he's just plain rude! I could say that I dislike him and find him annoying, but that would be a lie. I'm sort of... in love with him.

I doubt he'd ever be interested in someone like me though. Neji was one of the hottest boys on campus and could get _any _girl he wanted. Why would he go for his tomboyish best friend? I'd never admit my feelings though because our friendship means a lot to me. The last thing I want to do is ruin it by confessing.

"So Tenten, I was wondering if you're free after school today? I was thinking maybe we could—" Keanu abruptly cut off and stared right behind me. All the blood drained from his face and he looked like he was going to wet his pants. I felt a murderous aura behind me and whipped around to find Neji standing inches away from me, glaring at Keanu.

Neji was _pissed_.

"Hey, Neji-kun!" I greeted, but he didn't take his eyes (which seemed darker then normal) off of Keanu. Neji suddenly shoved me behind his back, effectively blocking Keanu from my view. His eyes narrowed even further. Neji's jaw was clenched and his shoulders were tense.

"Tenten _is _busy today after school. So I suggest that you," the seventeen-year-old took a threatening step towards Keanu, "Back. The. _Hell_. _Off_. Hosaka." Neji emphasized the last words, his hands forming into fist.

"Huh?" I blinked rapidly, totally confused.

"Last week we agreed that I would help you work on your offense today." The Hyuuga heir stated in his monotone voice which held a hint of anger, not even removing his heated gaze from Keanu. His whole body was stiff and he was scowling deeply.

My face displayed utter bewilderment. I had asked Neji to help me with my offense, but he refused and told me to leave him alone. Why did he suddenly change his mind?... Oh well, it's not every day that Neji helps anyone so I'm not complaining!

"Eh, y-yeah. Sure, I remember..." I lied.

I peered over Neji's shoulder (which was _extremely _hard since he's so friggin' tall) to find him still glaring at Keanu. My blue-haired teammate started to fidget and shiver under Neji gaze. I felt sorry for the poor guy. Neji was a _very _intimidating person.

My hands fisted in Neji's shirt, tugging urgently. He didn't budge. My mouth curved into a nervous smile. "Come on, Neji-kun! Let's go play basketball!" I exclaimed in the sweetest voice I could muster, hoping to distract Neji from his sudden, unknown hatred towards Keanu.

"Hn," Neji grunted. He sent Keanu one last warning glare before placing his hand on my lower back. My best friend led me towards the end of the court, where all the guys were playing basketball.

_'Oh, just great! Neji's going into overprotective mode... AGAIN!'_

**SASUKE'S P.O.V. (Tuesday: After School)**

Pushing the door open, I led Sakura into my indoor basketball court. We had just finished working on countless pages of calculus problems. The tutoring session was fairly normal: Sakura teaching me a formula, pretending I didn't understand, barely containing myself from jumping her and forcibly removing her innocence, her remaining completely oblivious. '_Nothing new there...'_

I headed into the supply room to get a basket ball while Sakura stood by the door. After a few moments, I came out with a basket ball in my hands and stood on the free-throw line, beckoning Sakura to come over. As soon as she was standing next to me, I placed the ball in her hands.

"First, I have to know what I'm working with. I want you to shoot the ball like you usually do." I stepped back to watch her. Sakura gave me an apprehensive look from behind her shield consisting of her glasses and bangs before turning toward the hoop. She just threw the ball with one hand and it hit the rim, bouncing back sharply to bang against the floor near us. The two of us flinched at the thunderous noise it made.

Bringing a closed fist up to my mouth, I bit down hard on my knuckles to keep from laughing. My stomach and lungs hurt from holding it in, so a couple chuckles escaped from my throat. She sucked... Badly!

"Stop laughing! It's not funny!" Sakura whined while shoving me, pouting and blushing.

My laughter subsided after a while. Reaching out and grabbing the basket ball, I positioned myself at the free-throw line. The leather felt cool in my calloused hands. "Here, I'll do it and you watch me." I shot the ball into the hoop easily.

"Show-off," Sakura muttered quietly, pushing her bangs out of her way.

_'Annoying...'_

"I heard that." I turned around to glare half-heartedly at her; the ball back in my hands. I handed it to her and grabbed Sakura's shoulders to position her at the white line. My body instantly tensed. She felt so fragile under my grip that I was afraid I could easily crush her if I held on too tight. "Just shoot it like I did. You have to slightly flick your wrist and crouch down when you shoot. Aim for the square that's around the hoop." I commanded, letting go of her.

After fifteen minutes of repeatedly instructing her and Sakura doing everything wrong, I remembered something important.

_'What did Ino say again?... Oh, yeah.'_

I moved to stand directly behind Sakura. I splayed my hand flat against her stomach and pressed her back flush against my chest. My form practically towered over hers, reminding me how small she was and how easily I coul—

_'Bad Sasuke! Very bad!'_

My ears burned. Shaking my head, I tried to get the images that weren't appropriate for little children out of my mind.

Sakura gasped loudly and sputtered out an incoherent string of words. "W-What are you d-doing?"

She stuttered out after overcoming her shock. She kept her head forward, not allowing me to see her face. Smirking, I released her middle and placed my hands directly on top of hers, which were clutching the ball. She tensed.

"I'm getting you into position. Have a problem with that Sa-ku-ra?" I teased, liking the way she was reacting. I inhaled slowly when suddenly, her cherry blossom scent full force. My senses were suddenly hyper aware of our situation: We were _alone _and we were _touching_. Remind me... _Why _did I think this would be a good idea again?

I leaned down a bit and brought my head to the right side of hers, tilting my head so that my mouth was mere centimeters away from her ear. "Instead of ducking down, just push your elbows in for now. Remember to flick your wrist." I instructed in a quiet voice. She nodded her head and my hands guided her through the motions.

_**Swoosh!**_

Nothing but net.

"I did it!" Sakura exclaimed, turning around in my embrace, "I can't believe I did it!"

I graced her with a genuine, albeit small, smile but it instantly vanished when I noticed our new positions. Sakura was gripping my biceps and my arms had slid down to wrap around her waist. My eyes widened as I gulped audibly.

_'WHAT THE F—!'_

"...you."

"Huh?" I was too distracted by our proximity. Her head was tilted upwards and mine was bent forward, our lips inches apart.

Romantic love scene? _Hell no. _This is temptation being a total bit—

"I said thank you." Sakura smiled brightly, causing those extremely X-rated images of us to flash through my mind once again. I choked back a moan. She took a step backwards, which forced me to let go of her.

This was ridiculous! **I'm **supposed to be making **her **all hot and bothered, _not _the other way around!

"Hn." I grunted, but it came out sounding strangled. I needed to get out of here. _Now._

"Keep practicing your free-throws. I'm going to go use the bathroom." My voice sounded high-pitched, as if I were going through puberty all over again. Feeling uncomfortable and mortified, I practically ran out of the room. I knew I would go insane if I stayed any longer.

_'First Attempt To Seduce Sakura... Status: COMPLETELY and UTTERLY __**FAILED**__!'_

**NEJI'S P.O.V. (Tuesday: Night)**

"Tenten?" I called. The response I received was the sound of Tenten's soft snoring. I chuckled.

Apparently my training regimen had worn her out.

The two of us were lying in the soccer field, drenched in sweat and exhausted. We had been practicing for nearly four hours and had made a lot of progress. Interlinking my fingers and resting my head in my hands, I stared up at the darkened sky. It was already nightfall and the only light we had were the billions of stars above us. The atmosphere was peaceful.

Turning on my side and propping my head on my hand, I examined the sleeping girl who lay next to me. Tenten let out a dreamy sigh and she smiled in her sleep, causing me to smile also.

_'She's so cute...'_

I mentally slapped myself. Groaning, I covered my eyes with my free hand out of annoyance.

_'Out of all the girls in the school, I just _had to _fall in love with my _best friend_... Great! Just friggin' great!' _I sneered to myself. Uncovering my eyes, I frustratingly ran a hand through my long hair.

For years I've been trying, but failing to ignore my feelings for her. My friends already knew about my attraction towards Tenten, but I've yet to openly admit it.

I wasn't just attracted to Tenten physically, though the thought of bedding her had crossed my mind _a lot... _I was connected to her on a more emotional level. She just... understood me, you know? Tenten was the one by my side when my parents died. She was the one comforting me when I was screaming for my parents, who died in an accident when I was only four. She always knew what to do or say to make me feel better. Tenten was just... different from the other girls.

Tenten sighed once again and rolled on her side. Now, our whole lengths were touching. Her body perfectly fit against mine. She buried her face in my chest as she snuggled closer, seeking warmth.

Usually, my initial reaction if we were in this position would be to freak out, but all I felt was a strong sense of calm wash over me. My shoulders relaxed and tension seemed to seep out of my body. Funny. I hadn't realized I was tense.

With my head still propped up on my arm, I used my free hand to brush away a misplaced brunette strand and tucked it behind her ear. Unconsciously, I started to stroke her cheek with my knuckles. Her skin was smooth, but slightly damp from perspiration.

She looked so innocent and vulnerable. Staring down at her small frame, the familiar need to protect her hit me full force. I knew I was overprotective when it came to Tenten. I've been scaring off her potential suitors for years and there was _no way _I was going to stop any time soon.

The thought of Keanu trying to ask out Tenten earlier today caused me to have an insane urge to crush something... or more like _someone_. Don't think that I didn't know Keanu had a _thing _for Tenten, because I knew. And I was _not _pleased when I'd found out.

_'Tch, as if I'd ever let that punk go out with her. Over my _dead _body! I swear, if he ever comes near her again, I'm gonna __**kill **__him...'_

Tenten's sigh brought me out of my violent musing. My eyes softened. The seventeen-year-old brunette muttered something in her sleep and burrowed her head further into my chest. I smiled down at her sleeping form.

My head turned in every direction, checking to see if anyone was around. The coast was clear.

Good.

Using my free hand to gently grasp her chin, I tilted Tenten's face towards me. My eyes drifted shut as I started to lean forward. I hesitated before kissing her. My mouth slanted against hers, wanting to deepen the kiss but afraid to wake her up. My ears burned red as my pulse sped up and my stomach felt three times heavier.

The kiss felt so... _right_.

Slowly and reluctantly, I pulled away and studied her features. She was still asleep, a small smile on her face. I threw my right arm over her and tugged her even closer. I stated my thoughts aloud, _"_Tenten, you may not be known for being the prettiest girl, but in my eyes..." I took in a deep breath.

"_You're beautiful_..."

_End of fifth chapter_

XXXXX

**Author's Notes: **I thought I would have more time to write since it's summer time, but apparently, I was wrong. The doctors found a tumor in my best friend's (Angelica) chest and she might have breast cancer. She's sooo young... Only sixteen. The results will be in soon. Please keep her in your prayers.

PLEASE REVIEW!

God bless,

Teddy


	6. Cliché

IT'S NOT CANCER! The results came in and tumor isn't cancerous. Power of prayer, baby ;D

**Chii Saino Kuratsu** is my scape goat this chapter since she was the one who beta'd it. Blame her for the mistakes ;) lol. Thanks for the help **Christine**!

**Thank you **to **Cynessie **for giving me the idea of the title of this chapter and inspiring me to write the scene at the end. Today, we were discussing writing and the topic of clichés came up. **Thanks a bunch Rissa! I dedicate the last scene to you! **

**DEDICATION: **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ANGELICA **a.k.a. **Tru3 Blu3 18**! I'm dedicating this to you for two reasons: 1) For being my **400th REVIEWER**! 2) For being the **GREAT BEST FRIEND **I could ever have. I'm glad the test came out negative and I'm grateful the Lord has blessed me through our seven years of friendship. **SALAMAT! **(I know you taught me a bit of tagalog, but I forgot.)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

...

**Chapter Six: Cliché**

XXXXX

**SAKURA'S P.O.V. (Wednesday)**

"Sakura," Sasuke sighed, turning to face me, "I've been wanting to tell you something for a very long time..." He seemed hesitant.

"What is it? You know you could tell me anything." I reassured, taking my eyes off the beautiful scenery to look at him. My pink tresses fluttered about my face since it was so windy.

We were watching the sun set from on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean. Below us, the waves crashed against the rocks, creating a calming sound. The sky had turned a beautiful purple-ish pink color. A flock of seagulls soared high in the sky, some straying for the pack and dipping into the ocean.

It was utterly breath-taking...

The seventeen-year-old boy cleared his throat and leaned against the huge, ancient cherry blossom tree the two of us were standing under. A pink petal fell on top of his raven locks. Giggling, I reached up and brushed it away. He tensed, pressing his back further into the tree's old trunk.

"What's wrong?" I frowned. The way that he was acting had me concerned.

Sasuke shook his head and chose to remain silent. He reached up and grabbed my glasses, folding them and placing the frames in his back pocket. Then he tucked my bangs behind my ear. I gaped, confused by his actions.

Suddenly, Sasuke's hand shot out and jerked me towards him.

"Eek!"

My body slammed against him. A dark blush covered my face and I nearly fainted. His muscular arms instantly wrapped themselves around me, holding on tightly. My arms were squashed between our chests. Trapped.

Sasuke stared deep into my eyes with his piercing orbs. I was unable to look away, hypnotized by the darkness of his eyes. He bent his head and rested his forehead against mine. My cheeks flamed and a nervous flutter filled my stomach.

Sasuke tightened his grip on me and whispered, "Sakura, I've been wanting to tell you that I—"

"SAKURA! FOREHEAD GIRL! WAKEY, WAKEY!"

"AAAHHHHH!"

I bolted out of my bed and released my favorite teddy bear—which, ironically, was a gift Sasuke had given me in eighth grade—I could never seem to sleep without from my grip. A wave of dizziness instantly hit me and my vision blurred momentarily. Clutching my head and groaning, I patted around my bed-side table for my glasses. I placed them on the bridge of my nose and looked up to find Ino, Tenten, and Hinata standing in my bedroom.

"What the heck?" I screamed, tired and annoyed. I didn't even get to finish my dream to find out what Sasuke was going to tell me!

"We thought we would give you a ride to school today," Tenten stated from her spot at the foot of my bed, holding a soccer ball.

"S-Sorry that we woke y-you up," Hinata apologized, fiddling with her short pleated skirt.

I sighed, lifting my glasses slightly to rub the sleep from my eyes. "It's fine. I needed to wake up anyway. But how did you guys even get into my house?"

"One of your maids let us in," explained Ino. The blonde paused and peered underneath my bed. Her blue eyes were squinted, causing me to frown.

"What are you looking at?"

Ino didn't reply to my question. She strutted towards my bed and crouched down. After a few moments, she straightened with something clutched in her hand. Ino extended her arm towards me and asked, "Looking for this?"

Inside of her out-reached palm was my golden promise ring. **(1) ** My eyes lit up. "So that's where it was! I've been looking every where for it!" I exclaimed, grabbing the sentimental piece of jewelry and placing it on my right ring finger.

"Well," Tenten started, "You should get ready or else we'll be late. We will be waiting in the kitchen."

The three of them left the room and I headed into the bathroom to get ready.

**-0-0-0-**

I straightened my clothes and adjusted my glasses while walking down the staircase. Entering my kitchen, I found my friends hanging around the kitchen island. Tenten was sitting on the island with a soccer ball on her lap. Hinata and Ino were sitting on the stools.

"Haruno-sama," my chef bowed lowly, "Your breakfast is already prepared. The maids have set it in the dinning room."

I smiled at the kind old man. "Arigatou." My chef bowed once again and went back to work.

"Hey guys, let's go into the dinning room." They nodded and followed me out of the kitchen. Out of nowhere, Ino emitted a loud gasp. The three of us whipped towards her, startled.

"Sakura! What are you wearing?" shrieked Ino. I peered down at my attire: loose jeans and a large, red sweater. Even though we attended a private school, we didn't have to wear a uniform. A bunch of students bribed the principal into letting us just wear street clothes.

Being rich has its benefits...

"Uh... Clothes?" I responded, confused.

Ino rolled her eyes and scoffed, "More like rags..." she threw her bony arm over my shoulders, "Girl, we _really _need to give you a makeover. I know you've been apprehensive about changing your appearance, but c'mon! It'll be fun. I promise!"

"I don't know..."

We finally reached the dinning room and sat at one end of the long table. I was starving and instantly dug into my food as soon as I sat down. My best friends declined my offer of breakfast, claiming they already ate.

"I think you should get the make-over," Tenten suggested, "It might give you a boost of self-confidence. Come on, Sakura. What's there to lose?"

"Plus," Ino added, "It might get Sasuke to finally see you in a different light."

"...Okay, I'm in."

The crazy things you'd be willing to do for the one you love...

...Wait. WHAT?

Ah, who was I kidding? It's _painfully obvious _I'm in love with Sasuke.

"YAY!" Ino clapped her hands together and gushed, "Ohemgee! I can't believe after all these years you find agreed! Okay, I want you to clear your schedule for Tuesday night. I've have my stylist come over and work her magic on you."

"Great. Can't wait," I droned, hiding the fact that I was nervous about the makeover. There was a lull in the conversation.

Tenten broke the silence after a while. "I'm kind of bored... You guys want to play truth or dare?" she suggested. Ino and I shrugged while Hinata meekly nodded.

"Sooo..." the seventeen-year-old brunette started, "Sakura, truth or dare?"

My lips pressed into a thin line as I quickly thought over my options. I was feeling a little adventurous today. "Dare, I guess."

An evil looking smile suddenly made its way to Ino's face. Her eyes alit with mischief. She smiled in sickeningly sweet way that my first instinct was to run. Fast.

"I dare you to join the cheerleading squad."

"WHAT? No way!" I protested, shaking my head furiously and waving in hands in a defensive manner.

"Oh, come on Sakura! I need someone to fill in for Yumi! She'll be leaving next Monday on a trip, so she can't perform at the basketball game on Wednesday against Mist High! The cheer squad can't perform the routine while missing a member. You were one of the best in our gymnastics class when we were younger. I bet cheerleading will be a piece of cake! Plus, I only need you to fill in until Yumi gets back. You could go back to being your usual nerdy self," I stuck my tongue out at Ino, "after her trip is over. Please?"

I sighed in annoyance. "Fine," I muttered, frowning.

_'I should have chose truth...'_

"Yay!" Ino cheered, clapping her hands joyfully. I rolled my green eyes at her crazy antics. "The squad will be meeting up on Friday and Tuesday during free period to go over the routine. Is that cool with you?"

"Sure." I nodded indifferently, stuffing some rice into my mouth.

"Ino, truth o-or dare?" Hinata asked.

"Truth."

"If you had to chose between Shikamaru or shopping, which would you pick?" Tenten questioned, teasing. The seventeen-year-old blonde blushed and glared darkly at Tenten.

We all knew the answer to the question, but asked it anyways just to make fun of Ino. It was a well known fact amongst our group that Ino had feelings for Shikamaru. I always wondered how someone as high maintenance as Ino could be attracted to someone as lazy as Shikamaru. Oh well, I guess opposites attract.

"Shikamaru..." Ino answered, blushing like crazy. The three of us busted out laughing.

"Aww!" I cooed.

"Shut up, forehead!" Ino screamed, scowling deeply.

"Hinata," I addressed, "Truth or dare?"

"T-Truth."

Ino, Tenten, and I exchanged looks. We had _no_ idea what to ask Hinata. The three of us basically knew every little detail about the shy sixteen-year-old.

"Umm..." Tenten pursed her lips. "We'll get back to you on that one."

After I finished my breakfast we grabbed our bags, went outside, and hauled ourselves into Ino's purple convertible. It really sucked that only Ino had her license out of the four of us. Tenten and I failed the driving test while Hinata's father forbid her from driving. He claimed it was too dangerous.

I turned to sit sideways in the passenger seat so I could face them. My back leaned against the passenger's door. "So did you guys receive an invitation for Ayumi's birthday party?"

They all nodded. Tenten said, "Yup, she gave an invitation to me in sixth period. It's supposed to be held at the beach next Friday. Are you going?"

"Maybe. If I don't have anything better to do." I shrugged against my seatbelt.

"H-Hai."

"Of course! Miss an opportunity to check out wet, half-naked guys in board shorts? Never!"

"Typical, boy-crazy Ino..." The brunette soccer player rolled her eyes.

We arrived at our high school after a couple minutes.

"See you later!" I called as we parted ways since all four of us had different classes for first period.

**NORMAL P.O.V. (Wednesday: Lunch time)**

"ARGH!"

Hinata halted in the middle of the empty hallway, whipping her head towards the classroom where the noise had come from. It was already fifteen minutes into lunch period. She had taken some time to change out of her gym uniform and now everyone was already in the cafeteria or had left the campus to eat lunch.

Curious, she pushed open the door of the room—which happened to be the physics lab—and entered. The sixteen-year-old Hyuuga was surprised to find Naruto sitting alone in the middle of classroom. Why was he alone in the lab instead of in the cafeteria stuffing his face with ramen?

Naruto's head was bowed, his shoulders slumped in dejection. He rested his forehead in his hands and clutched his blonde hair in a tight grip, his fist turning white. A physics book, a pencil, and a notebook with scribbles written all over it laid haphazardly on his desk. Hinata hesitantly approached him.

Abruptly, Naruto bolted upwards and tore out the piece of paper, crumbling it up and throwing it over his shoulder. A look of determination gleamed in this blue orbs. The seventeen-year-old boy cracked his fingers and picked up his pencil, beginning his twelfth attempt to solve the same equation.

"I'll prove them wrong," he grumbled under his breath. "I show them I'm not a brainless idiot. When I become priminster of Japan, I'll kick them all outta the country and ban them from eating ramen! Dattebayo!" he exclaimed, punching the air. Naruto was too busy giving himself a pep talk that he failed to notice the dark-haired girl who stood a mere foot away from him.

"N-Naruto-kun?"

_'Who the...' _

Naruto stiffened as he recognized the voice and looked up. All the blood drained from his face when he saw Hinata.

"H-H-Hinata?" He gulped audibly. Ever since his revelation yesterday, he had been avoiding the shy girl. Now, he was alone with her in an empty classroom. Great.

"W-What are y-you doing?" The shy girl took a step forward to stand right in front of his desk, fiddling with her fingers and blushing.

"Well, you see..." Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly and smiled, "The guys were really pissing me off earlier today, going on and on about how stupid I am. Tch, they're just jealous of my genius!" he popped his collar cockily, causing Hinata to giggle, "They bet I couldn't even solve one problem from our physics homework by the end of the day, so I took them up on the challenge. I'm here to prove them wrong. But..." Naruto trailed off, "I can't seem to figure it out."

The seventeen-year-old boy handed her his paper. Hinata held the white sheet close to her face, having a hard time reading his sloppy handwriting. After a couple minutes, she realized what he had been doing wrong.

"N-Naruto-kun, in science v-volume refers to the s-s-space occupied by an object... not how l-loud s-something is."

The hyperactive, ramen-loving boy instantly blushed, feeling _really_ stupid. Trying to save face, he puffed up his chest and plastered a huge smile on his face. "Yeah, I... uh, I knew that."

Naruto knew she could see right through his lie. Hinata's face lit up with childish amusement as she giggled. She muffled the sound into the palm of her hand, her lavender eyes twinkling. The back of his neck heated up.

_'Ugh! Like I needed _another _thing to find adorable about her...'_

Naruto bit down on the inside of his mouth. Hard. His fingers curled around the bottom of his seat, bolting himself to his desk so he wouldn't jump her.

Once calmed down, the embarrassed teenager cupped the back of his neck in a nervous manner. "Okay, so I didn't know that," he admitted, his gaze downcast, "You must think I'm pretty stupid, huh?"

"No, I don't."

Naruto's head whipped up, his jaw dropping to the ground. He wasn't sure which he was more shocked at: the fact that she didn't stutter or that she didn't think he mentally challenged like everyone else believed.

"W-What?" he whispered, gawking at her. Hinata smiled shyly and bowed her head, her dark fringe veiling her eyes. Her index fingers pointed together in a nervous manner.

"I-I-I've always... admired you N-Naruto. You h-have so much confidence a-and never give up. I've always b-been the shy girl who s-sits in t-the corner, but you've inspired m-me to be more brave and speak u-up."

"So you don't think I'm a failure?"

The shy girl said nothing, choosing to remain silent for the time being. Naruto watched numbly as she gently grasped both his hands in hers. Their eyes locked.

"Naruto-kun," she whispered, "You're not a failure."

Naruto was struck silent for a second. And then he yanked on Hinata's hands and surged forward, crushing his mouth to hers.

To say Hinata was surprised is an understatement; she was absolutely shocked! Her pale orbs widened as she stared at his closed eyelids. Naruto's chair made a loud screech as he stood up to lean more into the kiss. Now, Naruto was leaning over the desk and Hinata stood perfectly straight, his large hands clutching hers.

The piercing sound snapped Hinata out of her trance. Hinata jerked backwards and tried to break the kiss, but Naruto wasn't having any it. Disgruntled, Naruto let out a warning growl deep within his throat. He tightened his grip on her hands and pinned them to the desk in between them, slanting his mouth firmly against hers. Hinata squeezed her eyes shut and blushed _heavily_.

Using the strength of his jaw to force her lips open, Naruto slipped his tongue into her mouth. His tongue brushed against hers and traced the roof of her mouth. This caused the shy teenage girl's toes to curl as tingles spread throughout her whole body. Hinata squeaked and tried to pull away, but Naruto quickly raised a hand and cupped the back of her head, pressing his mouth insistently to hers.

It took a couple moments for Hinata to finally relax and return the kiss. Naruto groaned into her mouth and softly stroked the back of her neck. Finally, the need for oxygen came into play. He slowly pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. Their eyes locked.

Hinata was breathing heavily, but it was nothing compared to how Naruto was gasping for breath. The poor boy sounded like he was hyperventilating. Naruto leaned his full weight on his desk in-between them, afraid his legs might give out.

"H-Hinata," he panted out, "I-I... Um... G-Girlfriend?"

Hinata's face displayed utter confusion before she finally realized what he was asking. Shyly, she nodded her head, causing Naruto to smile brightly. Then, all the events that had happened in the past five minutes sunk in.

'**Naruto**_ kissed me. Naruto _**kissed** _me. Naruto kissed _**me**... _And now I'm his _**girlfriend**!'

Hinata abruptly pulled away from Naruto and clutched her forehead. The room started to spin and her knees became weak.

Promptly, Hinata fainted.

"HINATA!"

**INO'S P.O.V. (Wednesday: Lunch Time)**

"Hey."

I looked up to find Neji, Sasuke, and Shikamaru standing by our table, each holding their lunch trays. Tenten, Sakura, and I exchanged looks, confused as to why they decided to approach us.

"Tenten," Neji said, "Gai-sensei scheduled soccer practice today after school at four-thirty. Pass on the word to the others."

"Okay," responded Tenten, subtly shooting glares at the fangirls who were gawking at Neji.

Sakura glanced at the cafeteria's double doors, frowning. "Do you guys know where Hinata is?"

Shikamaru shrugged, "Naruto is also missing. He probably went off campus to eat since the cafeteria ran out of ramen."

The six of us simultaneously rolled our eyes at Naruto's weird obsession with ramen.

I gestured to the empty seats of the circular table and asked, "Would you guys like to join us?" The boys seemed hesitant to comply, but sat down anyways. Sasuke took the seat in-between Sakura and me. Neji sat between Tenten and Shikamaru. Shikamaru plopped down near me and Neji.

I blushed bright red when Shikamaru's arm brushed against mine when he slid his tray onto the table. Butterflies filled the compartments of my insides and tingles seemed to run up and down my spine.

An awkward silence settled over our table as the boys started to chow down on their food. In the corner of my eye, I noticed Neji not-so-subtly staring at Tenten. The bun-haired girl remained oblivious to his lingering looks.

"Dense..." I muttered under my breath, reaching into my bag to pull out the latest issue of _Teen Leaf Magazine_. I was flipping through the brightly colored pages when I found a quiz. The quiz was supposed to test how well you knew your best friend. Suddenly, I had a bright idea.

_'This will be interesting...'_

"We didn't finish our game of truth or dare yet. Tenten, it's your turn. Truth or Dare?" I asked, already knowing what she was going to chose.

"I pick dare. I'm not scared. Bring it," challenged Tenten, winking. A smirk alit my features. This was way too easy.

"I dare you to answer this questionnaire from my magazine," I commanded, waving the bundle of glossed papers.

"Take a quiz from a magazine?" Tenten cocked her head to the side in a confused manner. "I don't see how that's _daring_."

"It's supposed to give you the first initial of the guy you're going to marry," I lied, making sure Shikamaru and Sasuke couldn't see what the quiz was _really_ about.

Neji's head snapped up. His gaze shifted uneasily between Tenten and the magazine.

Tenten glanced at Neji and blushed. "Fine," Tenten cut out, glaring at me. Eh, she'll thank me later.

"Okay! I'm going to ask you four questions, then you answer truthfully. Afterwards, I'll add up your score and we'll find out the first initial of your future boy toy." I wiggled my eyebrows suggestively, teasing her.

"I loathe you," hissed Tenten. I rolled my eyes and flipped my long blonde hair over my shoulder. Clearing my throat dramatically, I said, "Okay, here's the first question. Have you ever been kissed before?"

"Nope."

Neji made a weird, strangled-sound.

Tenten gave him a questioning glance. Neji just waved her off, returning to his food. Shikamaru and Sasuke exchanged a look I couldn't decipher and smirked. Shikamaru nudged Neji with his elbow and Neji glared at him.

"Have you ever been in a relationship?"

"No, and it's all because _someone_ can't stop being so overprotective!" Tenten crossed her arms childishly and pouted, shooting daggers in Neji's direction. Neji ignored her complaints, shoveling food into his mouth with his chopsticks. He seemed pretty smug for some reason.

I continued, "Has a boy ever told you that he thinks you're pretty?"

"As if! Never!" laughed Tenten.

Neji shifted in his seat, looking _very_ uncomfortable.

Sasuke shot Neji a look from across the table. His onyx eyes flickered to Tenten in a pointed manner, then he turned his head in Neji's direction and raised an eyebrow. Neji shook his head.

_'Pfft... Stupid boy telepathy...' _

"How many children do you want?" I asked as I pretended to write her answers down.

"As many as I can pop out!" Tenten exclaimed, her demeanor totally serious.

Neji made a strange choking sound.

My jaw dropped as I fumbled with the magazine to keep from dropping it. All of us stared at Tenten like she was crazy. The brunette seventeen-year-old appeared unfazed by our bewildered expressions.

"W-What?" Sakura stuttered, her green eyes wide open behind her glasses. Sasuke glanced at Sakura from the corner of his eye. I watched as his hand slowly reached up to clutch the ring on his necklace.

Tenten shrugged and answered, "I'm an only child, so I've always wanted a big family. It's been a dream of mine to have about six kids."

"Whoa! Looks like your future husband has to be a sex addict!" I shouted.

Neji erupted into a coughing fit.

My hand slapped over my mouth to keep from laughing aloud. Neji was _soooo _easy to read! I knew he had a thing for her!

Tenten patted Neji's back, concerned. "Are you alright?"

Neji nodded and cleared his throat. "Yeah, I just... swallowed my food wrong."

"Riiiight..." Shikamaru dragged out, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Neji shot the lazy teenager a death glare.

Trying to look convincing as possible, I wrote random things down on the magazine and pretended to tally up the score. "Okay, I've added up your score and it says that your future husband's first initial is 'N'."

Tenten stole a glance at Neji, blushing. Sasuke and Shikamaru looked positively amused by the fake results. Neji, on the other hand, was struggling to appear emotionally neutral.

Wow. These people are _so_ gullible.

My pink-haired best friend pushed up those dorky glasses of hers with her index finger and pointed out, "Oh, maybe it's that guy named Nagio that works at the mall! You know, the one that keeps hitting on you?"

"_What_?" Neji gritted out, glaring at Tenten as if she betrayed him.

"Nagio? Pff, he's not even my type." Tenten waved it off, scrunching her face in disgust. Her answer seemed to placate Neji... a little bit. I'll admit I didn't know Neji that well, but it was easy for me to decipher his body language. It was obvious he was still pissed and ready to kill this 'Nagio' guy.

_'Looks like I'm going to have to do some match making...'_

A couple moments later, a flushed Hinata and a flustered-looking Naruto finally made their long awaited appearance. They grabbed the extra chairs from a nearby table and sat down side by side.

"Where were you two?" asked Neji.

"L-Library."

"Gymnasium."

The two love birds glanced at each other then quickly looked away, blushing.

That's when I knew something was up.

They both seemed to have very little appetite, choosing instead to converse in hushed voices. Hinata's blush was constant and Naruto couldn't seem to wipe that huge grin off of his face.

_**Brrriiinnggg!**_

"Oi, we should get to class before we're late."

We nodded and gathered our things, going our separate ways.

**SASUKE'S P.O.V. (Wednesday: Fifth Period)**

"So that's where you're hiding."

I peered over my shoulder to find Sakura standing by the stairway that led to the school's roof top.

"Aa."

Ever since I started at KPHS, I would sneak up to the roof whenever I had free period. I liked it up here. It was quiet and had a good view of the campus and the neighboring elementary school that Sakura and I used to attend. Today, I had gone up here to get some fresh air... and to get away from fangirls.

The sixteen-year-old overachiever came to stand near me, biting her nails. I sighed and rolled my eyes, trying not to find her little habit cute.

"There's no need to be nervous."

Sakura's head snapped up as confusion settled across her features. "How did yo—?" She noticed her finger tips in her mouth and quickly stuffed her hands into the pockets of her red sweater that seemed to swallow her small frame. "Oh..."

I smirked, poking her forehead with my index and middle finger. "So why were you looking for me?"

"I just wanted to thank you," Sakura stated shyly, fiddling with the frame her glasses.

"Hn," I grunted, not needing an explanation. She was thanking me for teaching her how to shoot a free-throw. The corner of my lip curved upwards, remembering how she leaped around the gym like a total lunatic after she made four out of five free-throws today.

"I wouldn't have done it without your help." Sakura smiled at me brightly, making my insides churn slightly.

My eyes narrowed wearily as she stepped forward, closing the gap between us. She hesitated before tiptoeing and wrapping her arms around my neck, making me bend down to accommodate her shortness.

_'Sakura is... hugging me?'_

I tensed. To my utter horrification, heat crept up the neck and unto my cheeks. Because I blushed, I quickly put my arms around Sakura to keep her in the hug, keeping her face pressed into the curve of my neck. I reasoned that if she was hugging me, she wouldn't be able to see that her touch shook my composure.

_'This is annoying... Why must she always keep hugging me out of the blue like this? It does __**insane **__things to guys I'm pretty sure she isn't aware of...'_ That thought made my gut turn. My eyes narrowed dangerously. Tightening my grip on her, I brought her closer. _'She'd better not hug to other guys, too...' _

Once I had calmed down and was positive all traces of red had faded, I loosened my hold and allowed Sakura to pull away a bit. Her hands slid down from my neck to rest on my biceps. Sakura tilted her head back a bit to look me in the eye. Her cheeks had a tint of red to them that made me picture what else I could do make them turn that color...

I resisted the urge to bang my head repeatedly against the wall, mentally scolded myself for my less-than-innocent thoughts.

A small smile graced her face, causing my attention to focus on her mouth. My eyes were glued to her pink, soft-looking lips. Without realizing what I was doing, I unconsciously lowered my head down towards her, my eyes still trained on her mouth.

Sakura's grip on my black t-shirt tightened when my mouth came within an inch away from her lips. I was so close that I could feel her unsteady breath on my lips.

My eyes were about to slide shut when—

_**BAM!**_

Sakura and I flew apart, putting four feet between us.

"TEME! WE'VE BEEN LOOKING EVERY WHERE FOR YOU! WHERE HA—" Naruto abruptly cut off his rant, gawking. I tensed, my ears turning pink. I whipped my head around to find Naruto and Shikamaru standing by the door that led to the roof. They're jaws dropped, looking like they've just seen a ghost.

"Whoa…" Shikamaru muttered, then cleared his throat. "We didn't know we were interrupting something... We'll leave."

The lazy genius grabbed a still gaping Naruto by the collar and dragged him down the stairwell.

A painfully awkward silence occurred after their hasty exit. The two of us refused to make eye-contact, settling for staring at random objects. I cupped the back of my neck. I had never felt so uncomfortable in my entire life.

"I-I go-gotta go! See y-you after sch-school for t-the tutoring s-session!" Sakura quickly stuttered, bowing.

"Hn." I grunted, not trusting myself to say full sentences yet. Sakura pivoted on her heal and practically bolted off the roof. The door slapped down with a resounding _bang_.

I just stood there, staring off into space.

_'I almost kissed Sakura...'_

_**"MOTHAFUC**_—_**"**_

**NORMAL P.O.V. (Wednesday: After school)**

"Ugh!" Sakura yelled, chucking her book at her living room wall. The book bounced roughly against the wall and landed on the hardwood floor with a thud.

Sasuke's head shot up from his calculus worksheet as he turned his head to stare at the pouting sixteen-year-old girl. The varsity basketball captain dropped his pencil on the coffee table and raised an eyebrow in question, but Sakura was too busy glaring at her discarded book.

He asked, "What's wrong?"

The pink-haired brainiac didn't respond, her arms crossing over her chest defiantly. Sasuke looked heavenwards, asking why he had to fall for a girl prone to stupid mood swings. Slowly, the seventeen-year-old got up from the couch. He sauntered towards the book laying haphazardly on Sakura's living room floor and picked it up. His dark eyes scanned the title.

"The Jock and the Nerd," Sasuke read aloud. **(2)** He twisted around to face her, "Why are you getting so upset over a book?"

Sakura jumped off the couch and yelled, "Because it's stupid, extremely unrealistic, idiotic, moronic, dum—!"

"Okay, I get it," he said, cutting her off, "What's it about anyway?"

The enraged teenager stomped over to her tutoree and explained, "Okay, the first main character is a guy who happens to be the football captain of his high school and he's really popular and rich. All the girls want to be with him. All the guys want to be him. He has _everything_ he could ever want. The other main character is a girl who's a complete geek and comes from a poor family. She's extremely shy, constantly bullied, and has no friends. The stupid story is about how the jock is irrevocably in love with the geek and tries to get her attention."

Sasuke tensed as his grip on the book tightened.

"At the end, the jock can't hold in his feelings anymore and confesses that he's in love with the nerd in front of the whole student body. Then, they live happily ever after!" Sakura concluded sarcastically. She scowled darkly, her glasses sliding down a bit on the bridge of her nose. "Argh, I just want to track down the author and knock some sense into her! I mean, the nerd-jock cliché? Really? That's the most over-used, unrealistic cliché ever created! Worst of all it gives nerds, _girls like me_, false hopes that guys like—"

"Like what?" Sasuke took a step forward, almost threateningly, "Guys like me would be interested in girls like you?"

"Uh... Well... Y-Yeah." Sakura nodded her head dumbly. "It would never would happen in real life."

Sasuke let out a harsh laugh and turned his back on her, his unoccupied hand covering his mouth.

"She's so friggin' **dense**..." Sasuke muttered under his breath. He glanced at his silver wristwatch. It was nearly time for soccer practice.

"Are we done with the tutoring session yet?" he asked monotonely, walking towards to coffee table and gathering his things. He placed the book back down of the couch. "I have soccer practice today."

Sakura was taken aback the suddenly change in subjects. "Err... Yes, I guess we are. I'll grade your worksheet tonight and give it back to you tomorrow."

"Hn." Sasuke hoisted his black backpack unto one shoulder and passed by Sakura, poking her forehead affectionately. She blushed at the gesture.

The seventeen-year-old boy was almost out the door, when he abruptly stopped and reached up to clutch his necklace. He peered over his stiffened shoulder, "You're wrong."

"What?" asked a confused Sakura.

"I said you're wrong. You said that the jock has everything. He doesn't."

Sasuke slowly turned around to face her fully. Their eyes locked.

"Because without her... everything else means _nothing_."

_End of sixth chapter_

XXXXX

**(1)** The promise ring isn't what you assume it is. No, Sakura isn't engaged or anything. It has a different meaning. It'll be explained in the 12th chapter.

**(2) **That's my version of The Beauty and the Beast. ;D It was the original title of SSTS, but I decided to go down a different route.

**Author's Note: **Sorry if this chapter is too short for your liking. I wrote three-fifths of the chapter one-handed because I sprained my wrist... which really sucks since I have to type with my left hand, because I'm right-handed. :(

So here's a recap on how far our characters have realized their feelings: Sasuke has finally (finally!) accepted the fact that he's in love with Sakura. Naruto and Hinata are going out. Neji already knew he was in love with Tenten a _long _time ago. Shikamaru is in the process of falling for Ino. The girls... Well, they're more in-touch with their emotions and have been in love with their respected guy since day one.

PLEASE REVIEW AND MAKE YOUR SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD AUTHORESS VERY HAPPY!


	7. Jealousy

**Warning: **I was in a depressed/bad mood while writing this chapter, so if it turns out badly... Yeah. My brother left to America for college this week and I took it pretty hard. It's been awkwardly silent since he left. It's weird not hearing him playing the guitar or singing around the house. He won't be back for another three years... HE'LL MISS MY SENIOR GRADUATION! DX

**Speical thanks **to mommy of two: **BlackBlossom101**, who beta'd this chapter. ^_^ I don't know what I'd do without her...

**DEDICATION: **THE SEVENTH CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO **young-love **FOR BEING MY **500th REVIEWER**! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

...

**Chapter Seven: Jealousy**

XXXXX

**KIBA'S P.O.V. (Wednesday: After school)**

Soccer practice had just started and Gai-sensei assigned us some weight training. The weight room was located at the upper level of the gym. Below, I could hear the cheerleaders yelling out chants to get the audience pumped up, practicing their routine for Friday's game.

I set my dumbbells aside and gulped down a bottle full of water. A loud pounding sound got my attention and I turned my head to watch as Sasuke beat the stuffing out of the punching bag that Gaara held in place.

"Dude, I think you should ease up a bit," I commented, throwing away the plastic bottle in a nearby recyclable bin. Sasuke ignored my suggestion and continued with his hard jabs.

Naruto stopped bench pressing and came over to us. Shikamaru stopped working out as well and trailed after the blonde idiot.

"Whoa, what crawled up your butt and died?" Naruto teased, but obviously concerned about Sasuke's violent behavior. The seventeen-year-old Uchiha said nothing, pounding on the punching bag.

"Did something happen during your tutoring session?" questioned Shikamaru, using the towel around his neck to wipe off the sweat from his chest. Naruto continued, "Yeah, is this about Operation G.S.T.T.S.S.H.C.F.T.H.H.H.F?"

Sasuke responded by landing a particularly hard punch on the bag. Gaara let out a loud grunt, using the soles of his black high-tops to keep himself from sliding backwards. The fifteen-year-old boy appeared to be irritated with the Uchiha.

Naruto and Shikamaru exchanged knowing looks. The lazy genius shook his head and muttered, "Mendōkusei..."

I inquired, "What happened? Sakura—"

"—says the thought of me liking her is stupid, extremely unrealistic, idiotic, moronic, and dumb," Sasuke finished in a monotone, pausing his workout. The three of us winced and mumbled, "Ouch, sorry man." Gaara reached across the punching bag, patted Sasuke on the shoulder once, and resumed his former position.

_'I really need to teach that kid about comforting a person when they're down...'_

"So what are you going to do?" questioned Shikamaru.

Sasuke just shrugged and reached up to touch the ring on his silver necklace. "I have a plan. I just need to make sure that Sakura will be free during lunch tomorrow." After a while, he seemed to calm down and started punching the bag at a more moderate pace.

"Hey, guys!" greeted Tenten. I noticed that she wasn't wearing her "boy" wig since this was a private practice and we weren't outside on the field where people could see us.

"What's up?" I asked, holding out my fist for her to bump. "Nothing much," Tenten answered, giving it a quick pound before saying, "Gaara, you have a visitor."

The red-haired sophomore raised an eyebrow, confused. He let go of the punching bag, took a step forward, and opened his mouth say something, but was cut off by the sound of the weight room's door slamming shut. We turned to find a familiar brown-haired eighth grader.

"Hey, Gaara-kun! Sorry to bother you at practice. I just..." Matsuri trailed off and made a weird squeaking noise, her eyes going wide. We stared in confusion as the thirteen-year-old girl dropped the pink package she was holding to cover her eyes; her face turned bright red.

I scanned the weight room, trying to pinpoint what caused her reaction. Then, I looked down at myself and it hit me. I bursted out laughing, causing everyone's attention to focus on me.

"Dude," I called to Gaara, "I think you should escort your little girlfriend out of the gym. She might faint from the sight of a room full of half-naked guys."

Everyone looked around to find that all the guys in the weight room were shirtless. Most of us guys on the soccer were more comfortable working out without feeling restricted by a shirt. The only one would worked out fully-clothed was Tenten (for obvious reasons). She had grown accustomed to seeing us shirtless and remained unfazed. Though, I did notice her drooling over Neji once in a while...

"She's not my girlfriend!" the fifteen-year-old denied in a panicked voice, appearing unusually flustered by my insinuation. It was so… _unlike _him. Gaara glanced at Matsuri then peered down at himself. He crossed his arms over his bare chest, his expression hinting that he felt uncomfortable.

Tenten studied Gaara for a while, and then her face lit up. With a teasing smile, she cooed, "Gaara, there's no need to be self-conscious in front of your girlfriend! With a six-pack like yours, I'm positive Matsuri-chan finds you hot!"

_"Tenten-senpai!" _Matsuri breathed out, horrified. Gaara's ears burned red and his cheeks tinted pink. Never in my life had I witnessed Gaara blush before. You have no idea how badly I wished I had a camera to capture the seen and use it as blackmail!

"Aww! Is wittle Gaara-kun blushing?" I teased. Gaara glared and passed by me, smacking my head on his way towards his stuff he had tossed on a bench. Gaara, acting as if nothing happened, slipped on his maroon t-shirt and slung his bag over his shoulder, walking over to Matsuri. He picked up the pink package she dropped and carried it for her.

"Oi, didn't anyone ever teach you to respect your superiors?" I screeched in outrage, nursing my aching head.

Gaara paused and glanced over his shoulder. "Don't you mean elders?"

"Why you little—"

"What's going on over here?" Neji cut in. The five of us acknowledged our soccer captain while Gaara used the opportunity to slip out the door with Matsuri.

"Nothing, we were just teasing Gaara," Tenten supplied. Neji merely nodded.

"So are you guys ready to kick some Sound High butt?" joked Naruto, referring to the game on Friday.

"Heck yeah!" I cheered, high five-ing the blonde idiot. We all went back to our different stations, but stayed relatively close together so we could converse. Neji replaced Gaara and held the punching in place for Sasuke.

"I heard their goalie is recovering from a sprained ankle, so always aim for his right," advised our soccer captain, "He'll react slower due to his injury. Use it to your advantage."

We spent the next half-hour strategizing a fool-proof game plan. We weren't undefeated for nothing.

"What time is?" Naruto asked out of the blue. I checked the time on my cell phone. "It's five-thirty."

His blue eyes budged out of their sockets. "Crap!" Naruto jumped off the treadmill, clumsily throwing on his orange t-shirt and grabbing his bag. He sprinted towards the door.

"Where do you think you're going, Uzumaki?" Naruto promptly ran into Neji's outstretched arm, causing him to stumble backwards. "Practice isn't over yet. Get back on the treadmill," ordered our seventeen-year-old soccer captain.

"But I'm late!" argued Naruto, arms flailing wildly.

"Late for what exactly?" Neji inquired suspiciously.

"I have a date w—!" Naruto froze his face pale. He smacked his forehead and started cursing.

"Date? With who?" Tenten's face alit with excitement. Naruto muttered a strange answer that sounded like, "Hirpphma..."

"Who?" I cocked my head to the side, eager to hear his answer. I had a pretty good guess on who it was already, but watching Naruto squirm and blush was hilarious. The seventeen-year-old blonde glanced at the Hyuuga towering over him and winced. Scratching the back of his neck sheepishly, the blue-eyed boy confessed, "Hinata and I are sorta... going out."

"FINALLY!" I screamed, throwing my hands up in victory. Tenten let out a high-pitched squeal and jumped up and down, clapping her hands. Never had I seen her act so girly. Sasuke and Shikamaru appeared highly amused and somewhat proud, smirking at the blond.

Neji's reaction, however, was drastically different from ours.

"Oh, okay," he shrugged. Then he grabbed Naruto by his collar and shoved him hard against the wall. "But I swear, if you break her heart..." Neji inched his face closer, his voice lowering to a threatening hiss, "_I will break your tiny little __**neck**__..._ "

Neji's demeanor changed back to normal as soon as he let out of Naruto's shirt and took a step back. "Got it?"

Naruto gulped, looking like he was going to piss in his pants. "G-G-Got it!" he squeaked, nodding his head frantically. He quickly picked up his backpack that had fallen when he was knocked against the wall and bolted out of the weight room, nearly knocking down Juko—one of the younger soccer players on the team.

Neji went back to holding the punching bag in place for Sasuke.

"I can't believe Naruto and Hinata are together! That's _sooo_ cute!" gushed Tenten. Shikamaru rolled his eyes, "Yeah. Cute."

Sasuke delivered one last punch before removing the black fingerless gloves and bandages. He gestured to the punching bag as if to say 'It's your turn.' The teenage Hyuuga shook his head. Sasuke raised an eyebrow and Neji lifted his right hand to Sasuke's eye level.

"Daaanngg! What happened to your hand, Hyuuga?" I shouted. The knuckles of his right hand were bruised and battered. The skin was a horrible purple color and it was slightly bleeding.

Tenten was by his side in an instant, grabbing his large hand in her smaller ones. She brought her face up close to his injury, examining it. Neji jumped as if a jolt of electricity shot through his body. I smacked a hand over my mouth when I saw Neji's cheeks turn pink. The bun-haired girl didn't seem to notice.

"Hyuuga Neji," Oh, crap. She used his _full name_. "What happened to your hand?"

Neji scoffed, "If you think that looks bad, you should see the other guy's face."

"WHAT?"

_'Wrong move, Hyuuga...'_

"Hn."

"Jerk," Tenten huffed, taking a handkerchief from her pocket and using it as a bandage for his injured knuckles. She pouted and glared at him. "Will you at least tell me who you used as your personal punching bag?"

"Just drop it. It doesn't concern you," Neji grumbled. While Tenten was preoccupied with wrapping his hand, Sasuke—who was standing behind Tenten—raised an eyebrow and mouthed,

"Who?"

Neji peered down at the Tenten to check if she was watching him. When the coast was clear, he mouthed back, "Nagio." **(1)**

The seventeen-year-old Uchiha smirked and shook his head. Shikamaru brought a closed fist to his mouth to muffle his snickers.

_'Who in the world is Nagio?' _I thought, completely lost.

**SAKURA'S P.O.V. (Thursday: Morning)**

"Haruno-sama," called one of my maids from the doorway of the living room.

"Yes?" I set my book down beside me on the couch and gave her my full attention.

"Your friends are waiting for you outside."

"Ah." I nodded, putting on my backpack and grabbing my books. "Thank you."

The elderly maid bowed and went back to her duties. I walked to the doorway and put on a pair of sneakers. Going over my mental checklist, I made sure I had everything I needed before slipping out the door and making my way into Ino's car.

"Ohayou," I greeted, folding my body into the back seat of Ino's convertible. Hinata replied with a quiet, "Ohayou gozaimasu."

"Hey, Sakura." Tenten turned around in the passenger seat to smile at me. "Ready for school?"

"Yup."

Ino started the car and pulled out of my driveway. "Sakura, you remembered to leave your schedule open for Tuesday, right? My stylist is a very busy woman and that's the only day she's free."

"Yeah, don't worry. I remembered."

My cell phone vibrated and I flipped it open. It was a text message from Sasuke.

**Sender: Uchiha Sasuke**

_"Meet me at the soccer field after fourth period. I need to show you something."_

I tapped out a quick reply of "okay" and pressed send.

We reached the Juizo Bridge—which connected my town to the city where KPHS was located—when Tenten decided to reveal some startling news. "Hinata, I've been thinking about something to ask you for our game of truth or dare and I came up with the perfect question." I glanced at the rear view mirror to get a glimpse of Tenten's reflection. My brows furrowed when I noticed a mischievous smile spread across her face.

"What i-is it?"

Tenten's smile widened. "Is it true you're Naruto's girlfriend?"

_**Screeeeccchh!**_

The blonde seventeen-year-old banged her foot against the breaks, causing the car to come to an abrupt halt in the middle of the bridge. "Oomph!" My body flew forward, but was immediately yanked backwards by my seat belt. My glasses were unceremoniously knocked off of my face. I rubbed my jaw, hoping I didn't get whiplash.

Hinata picked up my glasses and handed them back to me. I placed them back in their usual position.

"Ino, have you gone insane?" yelled Tenten, "We could have gotten into an accident!"

Ino completely ignored Tenten's scolding, choosing instead to whip around and give Hinata the third degree. "YOU'RE GOING OUT WITH NARUTO?" The question caused Hinata to blush and fiddle with her index fingers, sinking down into the backseat.

"Y-Y-Yes," Hinata confessed her face a bright red color.

"That's great, Hinata!" I placed my hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. Ino broke out into a fit of giggles, flapping her hands excitedly. "Eek! Ohemgee, this is sooo cute! So have the two of you gone on a date yet?"

Hinata burrowed herself further into her seat, obviously shy. "U-Umm... I'll give you t-the details during l-lunch." The blue-eyed senior shot her a look that said 'You better!' before easing off the breaks. We reached school after ten minutes.

"Later!" I called as I hopped out of the car. I walked through the gates, up the stairs, and into the high school. It was nearly time for first period to start and the hallway was packed with students rushing to get their books from their lockers.

Suddenly, someone collided roughly with my shoulder, causing all my books and folders to be knocked out of my grasp. I steadied myself and looked at the culprit, groaning in irritation when I found Wantabe Ami and her little posy standing before me. **(2)**

"Want do you want this time, Ami?" I droned, crossing my arms.

The president of the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club flipped her purple hair over here her shoulder and stepped forward, invading my personal space. Her brainless followers mimicked her movements. "Stay away from Sasuke-kun," she hissed, glaring.

In actuality, Ami was a really nice person. She always used to share her cookies with me in second grade. But if you became an obstacle in her quest to become the future Mrs. Uchiha, she'd make your life a living nightmare. Hence the reason she's been annoying me these past couple of days.

I rolled my eyes. "Even if I wanted to, I can't. I promised I'd tutor him in calculus. Besides, they're nothing going on between us."

"Oh please," she sneered, "We can _see_ the way you look at him. I know you like Sasuke-kun." I stiffened._ 'Was I _that_ obvious?' _Ami continued, "I bet you're just using this opportunity to try and seduce him," she inched her face closer, "But let me tell you something: Sasuke-kun would _never_ fall for a pathetic, ugly nerd like you."

And as much as I didn't want to admit it, her comment hurt me. A lot. I knew that my chances with Sasuke were slim to none, but actually having someone say the fact _aloud_ was like a stab to the heart.

Disguising my hurt with indifference, I smirked. "And_ I'm _pretty sure Uchiha-san would never fall for easy, STD-infected trash like you."

Several gasps broke out amongst her group. Her pale face contorted into pure, unadulterated rage. I winced when Ami quickly raised her hand, ready to strike.

"You little b—!"

"**That's enough**."

Slowly, I pried open an eyelid. The scene before me caused both of my eyes to shoot open and my jaw to drop.

Neji stood there, holding Ami's wrist. Her hand was a mere inch away from making contact with my cheek. I noticed that Neji's hand that he used to clutch the girl's arm was bandaged. The seventeen-year-old soccer captain yanked Ami's hand back down to her side.

"Leave," Neji demanded in his deep voice, his face excluding no emotions whatsoever. Ami and her cronies didn't need to be told twice; they practically sprinted down the hallway and into their classroom. A small part of me felt sorry for Ami and her gang. Neji was a _very_ intimidating person.

Sighing, I crouched down and gathered my fallen books into my arms. After they were carefully stacked, I stood and pushed up my glasses. "Thanks... for stopping Ami. You didn't have to."

The long-haired senior shrugged his broad shoulders. "If I didn't, Sasuke would have my head on a sliver platter."

"Huh?" I cocked my head to the side, confused. He shook his head and muttered, "Nothing."

_**Brrriiinnggg!**_

_'Crap!'_

"C'mon, Neji. We might be late for calculus."

Neji smirked, appearing to be entertained by my statement.

"What?"

He halted in the middle of the hallway, causing to me pause as well. I moved my unruly fringe out of the way to see him turn towards me and say, "It's amusing. You call me—a person who knows only the bare facts about you—by my first name, yet you address Sasuke as if he's a stranger." He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked me straight in the eyes.

"Sasuke knows you better than you know yourself. It's about time you acknowledged that."

With that said, he walked away, leaving me deep in thought.

**Gymnasium (Thursday: Fourth Period)**

_'He's staring at me... He's staring at me... He's staring at me... Why is he still staring at me?'_

I lifted my head a bit and peered across the gym. He smiled at me and winked. Quickly ducking my head, I returned my gaze back to my book. I could literally feel his gaze burning a hole in the side of my face. What was his problem? Didn't anyone ever teach him it's not polite to stare?

My eyes drifted back up to check if Sato Shou was still watching me.

He was.

_'Are you _kidding _me? He's been staring at me _all day!_'_

I shifted on the bleachers uncomfortably, unnerved by Shou's watchful gaze. Trying to distract myself, I lowered my book slightly and glanced around the gym, looking for my best friends. Tenten was kicking around a soccer ball with Neji. I looked to my left and saw Ino chatting with another cheerleader. Hinata was using the bathroom, so she wasn't inside the gym.

I continued to study my surroundings and noticed that Naruto, Shikamaru, Takehiko, Kiba, Gaara, and Sasuke were playing basketball. Almost all of the girls in the gym swooned as Sasuke shot an impressive three-pointer. I rolled my eyes. '_Stupid, typical fangirls... Wait. Did I just call myself stupid?' _

Sasuke glanced my way. When our eyes met, I blushed, embarrassed to be caught staring. I hastily jerked my book upwards and pretended to read. After all the red had faded from my cheeks, my attention drifted to the area where Shou and his friends. My brow furrowed when I noticed he was no long—HOLY CRAP! HE'S HEADING TOWARDS ME!

My heart pounded rapidly in my chest and I prayed that I wouldn't vomit or something equally embarrassing. I fiddled nervously with my glasses and tried to hide behind my book. Hopefully, he'll just walk past me and hit on the group of girls from the debate team that were sitting a few rows above me.

"Hey, Sakura-chan."

I winced from behind the protection of my book. He just _had_ to approach me. Hesitantly, I lowered my book and placed it on the bleacher. "Hello, Sato-san," I greeted with the best fake smile I could muster, hoping he'd leave soon.

Shou gestured to unoccupied spot next to me. "Do you mind if I sit with you?" My mouth opened to make up some sort of excuse, but he cut me off by saying, "You promised that we'd talk later, remember?"

...Dang it.

"Err... Sure. So what did you want to talk about?"

"Us," he answered simply. The eighteen-year-old brunette sat down _very_ close to me. Our hips and thighs were touching. I tried to scoot away, but he just scooted closer every time I attempted to retreat.

"U-Us?" I sputtered out, dumbfounded. What was_ that _supposed to mean?

"Yeah, I've always liked you, Sakura-chan," Shou stated in a seemingly shy voice, but I could see right through his false facade. He was faking it. "So I was hoping you'd go out with me," the silver-eyed teenager whispered in his wannabe seductive voice._ 'What do girls see in this guy?' _ I nearly gagged, then paled when his words finally registered. My jaw dropped and my head spun. An uncomfortable feeling settled in the pit of my gut.

"Oh, umm... Wow, I'm flattered, but I don't like you that wa—"

Shou quickly raised a hand, demanding silence. His expression was hard to decipher. It appeared to be a mix of disbelief, anger, and pure shock. "Are you rejecting me?"

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily call it_ rejecting_..." I trailed off while fiddling with my glasses, feeling horrible. Sure, Shou was a jerk, but I couldn't help but feel slightly guilty by turning him down. I wasn't used to saying 'no'.

He scoffed, looking like he'd been slapped in the face. Apparently this was the first time he got shot down. The eighteen-year-old basketball player was quiet for a while, plotting. Then, his face lit up as if he was struck with a bright idea.

"I think I know what I can do to change your mind." Shou smiled deviously. Suddenly, his hand grasped my chin, turning my head towards him. He leaned forward, his intent written all over his face.

_'Oh. My. Gosh. HE'S GOING TO KISS ME!'_

My first instinct was to hurl. My second instinct was to run. Far,_ far _away.

Shou's lips were a mere inch from mine when I jerked my head out of his grasp and whipped away. With wobbly legs, I bolted upwards and attempted to make a mad dash away from Shou.

"Hey, wait!"

A hand lashed out and grabbed my wrist, yanking me back to Shou. He used more force than necessary, causing me to fall forward instead of merely turning to face him. Shou tried to stop me from falling, but my wrist slipped from his grip. I closed my eyes and spread my hands out in front of me, preparing myself for the inevitable pain.

"AAAHHHH!" I screamed before my body finally hit the gym floor. My outstretched arms had taken most of the impact, but my forehead had banged against the floor during my fall. Gasps from students resounded throughout the gym. Groaning in pain, I slowly turned to lay flat on my back. I brought a hand up to nurse my aching head, absolutely sure that there would be a bump.

The fall wasn't that bad. I was thankful that the bleacher I had fallen from was only the second from the bottom. Any higher and I would have broken something.

My unoccupied hand blindly searched for my glasses, which had been knocked off during my fall. My fingers finally found them and curled around the object, placing them back on my face. I breathed out a sigh of relief when I noticed them weren't damaged.

Shou was by my side instantly and helped me stand up. One of his hands rested on my hip, the other was supporting me by my elbow. He apologized profusely. "Sakura, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean t—!"

_**BAM!**_

A soccer ball came flying out of nowhere and hit Shou in the face! The sudden impact caught Shou by surprise, knocking him down. The sound of his body slamming against the hard floor echoed throughout the gym.

I gasped in shock as Shou slowly sat up, groaning in pain. His fangirls rushed to the scene, forming a circle around us. He shook his brunette head, supposedly trying to shake off a dizzy spell.

His silver eyes landed on the soccer ball and realization dawned on him. "WHO DID THAT?" he roared and stood up, face red with anger and embarrassment.

"Hn."

My whole body stiffened when I heard that familiar grunt coming from directly behind me.

_'Oh you have _got _to be kidding me!'_

I spun around to see Sasuke standing right in front of me, death-glaring Shou. He looked like he was ready to rip Shou's head off. "U-Uchiha-san?" I stuttered out, bewildered. Sasuke momentarily removed his heated gaze off of Shou to glance at me. He did a double-take, frowning when he saw me clutching my injured forehead.

Suddenly, Sasuke grabbed my shoulder and pulled me towards him. I could have sworn my heart stopped beating. My cheeks turned pink from our close proximity. His right hand reached up, gently prying my fingers and brushing away my bangs to get a look at my forehead. His calloused fingertips grazed the bump lightly, causing me to pull back sharply and hiss in pain.

"**Who the hell did this?**" Sasuke demanded through clenched teeth. I gulped when I noticed Sasuke's expression. His jaw was clenched and his hands curled tightly, forming fists.

_'What's wrong with him?'_

"S-Sato-san pulled my arm and acci—"

Before I could finish, Sasuke whipped around and marched up to Shou, socking him in the face. Then Sasuke tackled him to the ground.

Shou was unconscious before he hit the floor.

**SASUKE'S P.O.V. (Thursday: Fourth Period)**

_'Seriously. Is this guy purposely trying to piss me off?'_

"Teme, pass the ball!" called Naruto. I reluctantly tore my eyes away from Shou, who was ogling Sakura. Grumbling under my breath, I passed the ball to Naruto and immediately resumed my glaring session. I barely paid attention to our basketball game. My mind was too focused on coming up with reasons to justify beating Shou into a bloody pulp.

_'First offense: He's been staring at Sakura. All. Freaking. Day.'_

"Hitting him will only get you detention and benched for Friday's game," I mumbled to myself.

I brought a hand up to my mouth and bit my knuckles, trying to keep calm.

The way he was leering at her had my hands itching to crush something and my blood boil. At least he kept his distance; he and his friends remained on the bleachers on the opposite side of the gym.

_'Yeah, you better stay there you little fu_—_'_

"Uchiha!"

I turned back just in time to catch the ball Takehiko threw my way. Gaara lunged in an attempt to steal the ball, but I dodged him. I positioned myself at the three-point line and shot the ball into the hoop. Heh, nothing but net.

"GO SASUKE-KUN!"

"YOU'RE AMAZING, SASUKE-KUN!"

"WE LOVE YOU, SASUKE-KUN!"

While refraining from cringing due to my fangirls' high-pitched squeals, I couldn't help but think how unfair life was. The one girl I actually wanted to call me 'Sasuke-kun' was the only girl in the whole school who addressed me with a formality.

My dark eyes scanned the bleachers when they landed on Sakura. She turned red when I caught her staring at me. The sixteen-year-old girl buried her blushing face in her book, embarrassed. I smirked, but it was instantly wiped off my face when I noticed Shou stand up and approach Sakura. Then that little punk **sat down next to her**.

_'Second offense, he's within a fifteen root radius of Sakura.'_

A strange burning sensation filled the pit of my stomach. I was about to sprint over to them, but Naruto and Kiba quickly latched onto my arms, holding me back from running over there and beating the crap out of Shou.

"Let go!" I ordered, struggling in their hold.

Neji came over to us, pausing his little soccer game with Tenten. "Uchiha, relax. They're just _talking_. Geez..."

I struggled to be rational and keep a level head, but I just... _couldn't_. An overwhelming, foreign emotion ate at my insides, banishing all rational thought. I've never felt like this before. I tried to assess my feelings, but what gripped my stomach was far too uncomfortable. All I wanted to do was _rip _Shou apart.

"Yeah, Sasuke," Kiba agreed, "There's no need to overreact. They're just talk—oh crap..."

Kiba and Naruto immediately turned me around, preventing me from seeing Shou and Sakura. I glared darkly. "What? What's going on?" I bellowed, trying to twist my head around to look at them. "Let go of me, you idiots!"

"AAAHHHH!"

I froze. My blood ran cold when I heard Sakura's scream, followed by multiple gasps.

Taking advantage of Kiba and Naruto's shocked states, I wrenched myself out of their hold. What I saw caused an intense surge of anger to rush through my veins. Sakura and Shou were standing at the bottom of the bleachers (_how did they get there?_), one of his hands on her hip, the other on Sakura's elbow. His face was _way__ too __close_for my comfort.

_'There's no way I'm letting that jerk get close to my____gir—Um...Uh... I mean... My tutor...'_

Immediately, I stole the soccer ball out of Neji's hand and aimed it at Shou's head.

_**BAM!**_

With mild satisfaction, I watched as the soccer ball slammed into his face, sending him sprawling to the ground. Stomping over to the small crowd formed mostly by Shou's fangirls, I stood directly behind Sakura

_'Third offense: He. Touched. Her.'_

"WHO DID THAT?" Shou yelled, jumping to his feet.

"Hn." I grunted in response, not trusting myself to say anything. I was too pissed to form logical sentences. Sakura stiffened before turning to face me, but I was far too intent on burning a hole through Shou's head with my glare.

"U-Uchiha-san?" Sakura stuttered in a confused voice.

I spared her a quick glance. Then did a double-take.

_'What the...'_

Immediately, my hands shot out and pulled Sakura towards me. A scowl spread across my features when I noticed how she was clutching her forehead. My right hand reached up, pulling her tiny fingers away from her forehead. My fingers combed aside her annoying pink bangs in order to examine the area.

The bump on her forehead wasn't necessarily that bad, but it looked pretty painful nonetheless. Hesitantly, I grazed the bump gently with my fingertips. Something inside me snapped when Sakura jerked away and cried out in pain.

"**Who the hell did this?**" I gritted out, absolutely murderous. My jaw clenched and unclench while my hands curled into fist. It was a bad habit I did whenever I was insanely angry.

"S-Sato-san pulled my arm and acci—"

That's all I needed to hear.

Something very dark shifted through me. My chest felt hot and heavy.

_'Fourth offense: He __**hurt**__ Sakura. He caused her pain. That bi_—_SCREW THIS! I'M GOING TO KILL HIM!'_

Without thinking, I lunged.

**Principal's Office (Thursday: Fourth Period)**

"A black eye, fractured rib, broken nose... The list could go on and on!" exclaimed my principal. "I have never seen such violence in all my twenty-five years of being principal! Young man, how do you expect to make up for your inexcusable behavior?"

Silently, I handed him a check. He choked and his eyes bulged out as he read the amount.

"T-That could work..."

**Nurse's Office (Thursday: Fourth Period)**

"What's wrong?"

"..."

"I did you a favor. Why are you mad at me?"

"..."

"Sakura. Answer me. _Now_."

"..."

Frustratingly, I ran my hands through my hair and glared half-heartedly at Sakura. The said girl was staring blankly at her sneakers, holding an ice pack to her forehead. She wouldn't talk to me at all and it was beyond annoying.

_'Is this supposed to be some sort of pay back for all the times I gave people the silent treatment?' _

I scowled while leaning against the wall, crossing my arms over my chest in a defensive manner. The fact that Sakura wouldn't even talk or look at me didn't sit well with me and made me completely irritated

"Sakura, tell me what's wrong."

She didn't even glance at me. I wanted to scream.

"Please?"

_'Great, I can't believe this girl has me _begging _her to talk. I've stooped so low...'_

"You didn't need to hurt him," Sakura mumbled, fiddling with her glasses. Her voice was so quiet that I barely caught her statement. I felt my jaw clench and my back stiffen.

"He was all over you and that jerk_ hurt _you. You should be grateful instead of giving me the silent treatment," I spat. A foreign, unknown feeling started to settle in the pit of my gut. Why would she care if he's hurt or not?

Sakura exploded. "No he wasn't! Sato-san was just helping me up. And it was an accident! He didn't mean to hurt me. You didn't even let me finish talking before you decided to bash his face in! You could've got expelled for fighting over a stupid misunderstanding! You need to learn how to control that stupid temper of yours!"

I blinked at her. Well, that was... unexpected.

The pink-haired girl sighed tiredly as shifted on the end of the hospital-like bed that she was sitting on, lowering her head. Guilt hit me. Hard. I felt as if I disappointed her. Pushing myself off of the wall, I took a few steps to stand directly in front of her.

"I'm sorry."

Sakura's head snapped up at break-neck pace. "W-What?"

"I said I am sorry. I shouldn't have let my anger get the best of me," I grumbled, annoyed that I had to repeat myself. For goodness sake, I was _Uchiha Sasuke_. I don't say sorry.___Ever_.

The sixteen-year-old shook her head. "You shouldn't be apologizing to _me_."

"Hn?" Sakura raised her free hand and pointed to the blue dividing curtain. Shou was occupying the other side of the nurse's office. My eyes narrowed, figuring out her intent.

"**No**."

"..."

Sakura pouted.

"..."

"..."

"Fine..."

Cursing under my breath, I marched up to the curtain and pulled it back. There laid Shou, sporting a broken nose, black eye, and several other bandages. I almost felt sorry for the guy. Almost.

"Sato," I called. Shou's eyes snapped open. When he realized I was in the same room as he was, he panicked. "NURSE! NURSE!"

Acting quickly, I slammed my hand over his mouth. Detention was the last thing I wanted to receive today. Shou misinterpreted my actions and flailed wildly, assuming I was trying to smother him to death. I rolled my eyes. No wonder this guy was voted 'Class Drama King' during our junior year.

"I'm sorry."

My basketball teammate immediately stilled, paralyzed with shock. "Waaft?" he said, his words muffled by my hand. I pulled my hand back, letting it hang idly to my side. The two of them looked at me expectantly.

"I apologize," though my expression said otherwise, "I misunderstood and overreacted." Shou appeared absolutely stumped. After a few minutes of exchanging words, it seemed like Shou had somewhat forgiven me (probably out of fear).

"We cool?" I held out my hand for him to shake. Very reluctantly, he raised his uninjured hand to grasp mine. Then I pulled him close. "But if you _ever _go near Sakura again, I won't hesitate to put you in a full body cast. Understand?" I whispered in a low voice so Sakura wouldn't hear my threat. The brunette nodded dumbly, terrified. Good.

I pulled back the blue curtain, allowing Sakura and I to have some privacy. Staring at the fragile girl, I sighed. Great. Now she has me _apologizing_. I didn't mean a word I said, but I figured it was the only way to get her to stop being mad at me.

Running a hand down my face, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed. My ego had never been this bruised before in my entire life... But it was definitely worth the heart-stopping smile Sakura graced me with. Her eyes that were looking directly into mine twinkled with happiness.

She gently placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you," Sakura whispered.

I flushed when I felt her small hand through the material of my gym shirt. The heat of her touch spread all over my body, making me fidget and look at anything but her. Sakura lowered her hand and placed it back on her lap. I leaned back on the wall again and forcefully crossed my arms, trying to put some space between us.

There was an awkward silence.

"Umm..." she started, obviously uncomfortable with the lull in the conversation, "I've been wondering... Shou only gave me a small bump on the head _by accident_," she stressed, glaring at me from behind her glasses, "And you nearly broke his ribcage... along with other things. Wasn't that a little too extreme? Why were you so pissed at him?"

Huh. Good question.

My mouth opened, but nothing came out. I tried to come up with a logical answer but my mind was frustratingly blank. All I knew was that I didn't like seeing any guy besides me getting close to Sakura. When I saw them together, confusion and anger seemed to be overriding my system. Confusion because I didn't know_ why _I was upset to see Shou with Sakura, which just made me even more angry. I knew Sakura didn't like Shou whatsoever, but the more I looked at the two sitting together, the more my chest burned.

_'It's because you were jealous...' _a small voice from the back of my mind whispered. I scoffed at the thought.

_Me? _**Jealous**?Tche, Uchihas do not get jealous. It was a stupid and pathetic emotion that was beneath us.

...Right?

Momentarily, I closed my eyes and tried to envision her with another guy. Just to test my own limits. The thought of another guy being with Sakura in any way, shape or form made my stomach tighten into knots. I felt like I was about to explode. A lump started forming in my throat as a hot, angry, intense emotion built up in my chest.

My eyes snapped open.

...I was jealous.

**SAKURA'S P.O.V.**

I sat patiently on the nurse's office bed, waiting for Sasuke's answer.

"Hn."

'_Why am I not surprised...' _I rolled my eyes.

_**Brrriiinnggg!**_

"Looks like gym class is over," I muttered to myself, placing the ice pack on the bed and standing up. "We should change out of our gym uniform and head to lunch."

Sasuke blocked me from leaving the room. "Get dressed and meet me in the soccer field."

"Huh?"

"I thought you received my text this morning?"

"Oh, that," I remembered, "Okay, see you in a bit."

The seventeen-year-old nodded slowly and sauntered out of the nurse's office. Adjusting my glasses, I strolled over to the girl's locker room and changed into my black capris and loose, green hoodie. I slung my pink, bunny backpack unto my shoulder and proceeded to exit the back of the school. I had to pass by the quad, track, and the Science Club's green house to get to the soccer field.

_'Stupid huge campus...Why does this place have to be so big when there's only two-hundred students?'_

I spotted Sasuke leaning against the metal support beams of the bleachers. My eyes ran down his form with female appreciation. He was wearing a black button up shirt with the sleeves folded up to his elbow. The shirt was unbuttoned to reveal the white wife beater he wore underneath. The silver necklace he was never seen without gleamed in the sunlight. His jeans hung low on his hips and partially covered his black high-tops. A blue and black backpack was hanging from his left shoulder.

_'My gosh... Is it even _legal_ for him to look that _**hot**_?'_

"So..." I dragged as I slowly approached my crush, "Why did you want to meet me here?" I inquired.

"You'll see." Sasuke made a hand motion for me to turn around. Furrowing my brows, I hesitantly did as he silently asked. A hand appeared in my peripheral vision and all of a sudden my glasses were taken off of my face. Then my sight was blocked by two large, warm hands.

"Uchiha-san? What are you doing?" I questioned, beyond confused. Why was he covering my eyes?

"Just trust me," Sasuke said from behind me. "Now start walking." The varsity basketball captain urged me forward, leading me. I tripped a couple of times, but Sasuke steadied me and continued walking. After what seemed like forever, he stopped and made me sit down on something unsteady. The object I was sitting on moved slightly. By that time, I was even more confused.

"Open your eyes."

Sasuke retracted his hands from my face and placed my glasses back where they belong. Slowly, I opened my eyes. Realization sunk in as I gasped and broke out into a big, goofy smile.

"You remembered!" I exclaimed, holding back tears. Sasuke came to stand right in front of me, looking oddly shy.

Sasuke had brought me to the Konoha Private Elementary swing set. The swing set was just like any other you could find at various playgrounds throughout Japan: brightly colored, could accommodate two people, and made entirely out of metal. But this particular swing set was special. This was the exact spot where we first met in kindergarten. During our elementary years, Sasuke and I used to swing all recess and talk when our friends weren't around.

Sasuke smirked and poked my forehead, careful not to touch my injury. "Hey! Stop it!" I giggled, swatting at his hand. He merely chuckled and stuck his hands into his pockets.

I glanced at the large, brick building. All the students were still inside the cafeteria, so the playground was completely empty. "How'd you get us in here?" I asked. Sasuke jerked his head to the left, indicating that he used the gate between the high school and elementary.

"Oh." I nodded my head in understanding. The two schools were separated by a fence, but since the principal's office resided in the high school building, they created a gate so misbehaving children could easily enter the principal's office and be dealt with.

"I haven't been here in ages," Sasuke stated. He took a seat on the swing to my right, the same swing he used throughout elementary. Using the soles of his high-tops, he gently rocked the swing back and forth.

"Me too." I ran my hand over the metal chains. We sat in a comfortable silence for a couple moments before I remembered something. "I wonder if it's still there..." I mumbled. The seventeen-year-old Uchiha shot me a confused glance when I suddenly got off the swing and picking up the seat. I turned it over to look at the bottom of the seat. The sight almost made my eyes water.

"It's still here!" I exclaimed, feeling emotional. Sasuke got up from the swing and came to stand behind me. He smirked when he saw what I was talking about.

At the bottom of the seat, 'SAKURA' was written in my first grade hand-writing with a pink, permanent marker. It had faded over the years and the 'R' was barely visible, but it was still there.

..Just like my feelings for Sasuke.

**SASUKE'S P.O.V. (Thursday: Lunch Period)**

I continued to stare at Sakura's little discovery, a sense of nostalgia washing over me. Being here brought back many memories from when Sakura and I were kids. We were so carefree back then.

Slowly, my hand reached up and enclosed around my silver necklace.

_'But now things have changed. I have responsibilities to uphold...'_

The swings were the first place where we met. It also happened to be the place where I first decided to start ignoring Sakura... But most importantly, it was where we had our first—

_**Start Flashback **_

"Higher! Make me go higher!" screamed an eight-year-old Sakura.

"I'm trying!" I yelled, annoyed, as I my arms pushed on Sakura's swing. When she was high enough, I stepped away and came to stand in front of her swing. I smirked when I caught sight of that big, bright smile on her face.

The smirk instantly vanished when the pink-haired girl pulled her legs towards her chest to place her feet on the seat. I paled when I saw her start to stand on the moving swing. "Sakura, you're going to fall! Sit down!" I ordered, panicking.

"I wanna jump off!" Sakura giggled.

"_WHAT_?"

Correction: I wasn't just panicking; I was having a full blown heart-attack.

"Don't worry! I've seen Naruto do this millions of times. It looks like he's flying! I wanna try!" responded the pink-haired fourth-grader, oblivious to the dangers of the stunt. I opened my mouth to talk her out of it, but it was already too late. Sakura had already launched herself off of the swing. Her small body went flying through the air. She was heading straight towards me.

"AAAAAHHHHH!"

Acting quickly, I spread my arms out and tried to catch her as she slammed into me. The impact caused me to lose my footing and fall backwards. Pain shot through my back and head when they banged against the hard ground. I saw Sakura close her eyes, preparing herself for the pain of our foreheads colliding. Her nose hit mine and time suddenly came to a halt.

I felt something soft and wet against my lips. My eyes nearly budged out of their sockets when I realized Sakura's mouth was connected to mine.

**I was kissing Sakura**.

My whole body went numb and I couldn't move. Sakura's eyes open to reveal her beautiful emerald orbs. Our eyes locked. My heart started pounding in my chest, faster than ever before. Then I realized something: I was_ blushing_. Frantically, I shoved Sakura by her shoulders. She got the message and hoisted her off of me. I sat up slowly, the back of my hand to my bruised lips and staring at her wide-eyed.

"I-I'm sooo s-s-sorry!" Sakura stuttered, her face bright red.

_'I'm not.'_

The blush on my face increased ten-fold when I realized that I wasn't sorry at all. Groaning, I bowed my head in embarrassment, wanting to rip my hair out. Sakura continued to ramble out apologies. Taking a deep breath, I forced down the blush. I stood up slowly and glanced at Sakura, making sure my face didn't reveal any of my turbulent emotions.

I fought back another blush that was threatening to make its way up to my face when my eyes landed on her soft, pink lips.

_'Don't look at her... Don't look at her... Don't look at her...'_

"Hn, whatever. The bell rang so we should head to class," I said in a monotone, grateful my voice didn't crack.

"Umm... O-Okay..." Sakura mumbled, slowly backing away and walking towards the classroom. As soon as Sakura was out of sight, I turned around and started to bang my head against a nearby oak tree.

'_I_... (bang)... _am... _(bang)... _so..._ (bang)... _STUPID!'_

_**End Flashback**_

—kiss.

Sakura let go of the swing and twisted around to face me, pulling me out of my musings. Her thin arms wrapped around me, catching me off guard.

Sakura smiled and whispered, "Arigatou... Sasuke."

My eyes widened.

_'HOLY SHI—!'_

"Thank you for bringing me here," she pulled back and gazed into my eyes. My stomach flipped. I felt a pain in my chest, and realized that I had stopped breathing. Trying to be as subtle as possible, I took in a shallow breath.

_'After all these years... She finally called me _Sasuke_...' _The corners of my mouth turned upwards, a light feeling residing in my chest. My arms wrapped around her small waist, pulling her closer.

"_**Eww**__!_"

Sakura and I suddenly flew apart, tripping all over the place.

The two of us whipped our head towards the origin of the sound. We found a bunch of first-graders staring at us, their chubby faces scrunched up and tongues sticking out. They were obviously grossed out by witnessing us hug. Their teacher—an elderly, gray-haired woman—rolled her eyes. She shook her head in disappointment.

"Teenagers these days... They're all so eager to get into each other's pants."

To my utter mortification, heat crept up my neck on onto my face.

I blushed. I,_ Uchiha Sasuke_, friggin' **blushed**.

_'Second Attempt To Seduce Sakura... Status: ...'_

Don't even ask...

_End of seventh chapter_

XXXXX

**(1) **Refer to chapter 6.

**(2)** Everyone thinks Ami's an OC, but she's actually a real Naruto character in the anime.

**Author's Note: **UGH! I JUST—OHSA! Yeah, I know... This chapter is completely _OFF!_ If you don't like it, I don't blame you. :/ *bows head in shame* It doesn't seem "Teddy-ish" at all. Sorry to disappoint... :(

My first day of school tomorrow... Finally starting my junior (11th grade) year. I'm nervous.

God bless,

Teddy a.k.a. TeddyBearHugs


	8. Slip Of The Tongue

**Background Information: **Sasuke's age through out SSTS: Kindergarten: 5 years old, 1st grade: 6, 2nd grade: 7, 3rd grade: 8, 4th: 9, 5th grade: 10, 6th grade: 11, 7th grade: 12, 8th: 13, Freshman: 14, Sophomore: 15, Junior: 16, and Senior: 17 years old. Sakura is one year younger than Sasuke, so just subtract one from Sasuke's age.

Special thanks to my girl Chelsea for beta-ing this chapter. **Thanks TheWheelofFate!**

**DEDICATION: **THE EIGHTH CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO **Fabia 13 **FOR BEING MY **600th REVIEWER!**

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

...

**Chapter Eight: Slip Of The Tongue**

XXXXX

**SAKURA'S P.O.V. (Friday: Lunch Period)**

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Ino, I said no, and that's final!"

"Why not?"

"I don't need a makeover!" Tenten crossed her arms and glared at Ino.

I sighed and shoveled another serving of rice into my mouth, annoyed. The two of them had been fighting the whole gym period and now they were bickering in the cafeteria. Ino claimed that Tenten needed to dress more feminine and get in touch with her "inner girl", while Tenten defended that she's perfectly fine the way she is.

Personally, I thought Tenten was already girly enough, but I guess the brunette comes across as a tomboy because she's into sports (_a little too much_...). Plus, the majority of her friends consisted of the guys on the soccer team. Ino, Hinata, and I were her only female friends.

"Have you ever thought that maybe Neji would fall for you if you started acting like a girl, for a change?" Ino asked. Tenten choked on her food, dropping her chopsticks in the process. Once she had regained her composure, the seventeen-year-old soccer player blushed heavily and glared harder at Ino.

"I would rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not. I shouldn't change just for someone's acceptance," Tenten scowled deeply.

"Did you guys notice how Tenten didn't deny that she likes Neji?" I questioned, winking at the now blushing brunette. Hinata and Ino started to laugh.

"I DON'T LIKE HIM!" Tenten exclaimed.

"Who don't you like?"

The four of us stiffened at the sound of the familiar, impassive voice. Tenten winced. Slowly, we all turned to see Neji, Sasuke, and Naruto standing by our table. Ino opened her mouth to greet them, but was cut off by Naruto's outburst.

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelled, slamming his tray of food on our table as he took the seat near Hinata. His arms quickly engulfed the shy girl into a big bear hug. The seventeen-year-old blonde pulled back after a while and smiled at his girlfriend. "I missed you!" Naruto placed his forehead against Hinata and stared deeply into her lavender eyes.

"B-B-But we j-just s-saw ea-each o-other last per-period," Hinata stuttered, embarrassed that Naruto was being affectionate in public. Poor girl. She looked like she was going to pass out.

"I know, but it seemed like forever to me!" Naruto suddenly dipped his head and kissed Hinata right on the lips.

_'Aww! That is so cut—Wait... __**IS THAT NARUTO'S TONGUE**__? Whoa, go Hinata... '___

An enraged Neji came up for behind his best friend and violently yanked Naruto away from the extremely red Hinata. The Hyuuga heir looked absolutely disgusted that he witnessed his cousin and best friend play tonsil hockey.

"Uzumaki, if you don't want me to kill you, I suggest you never, ever do that with my cousin in front of me again. _Ever_." Neji death-glared Naruto.

"O-Oh, right. Sorry about that. Hehehe..." Naruto cowered backwards and scratched his head sheepishly. Hinata just sat there in a daze, wide-eyed and blushing like crazy. I waved my hand in front of her face to snap the introverted teen out of her trance.

"Why don't you guys sit down?" Tenten offered, gesturing to the empty seats of our circular table. Sasuke and Neji shrugged, taking their seats and setting their trays down. I smiled shyly at Sasuke while he simply nodded back.

My eyes drifted to the students surrounding us. It didn't take long for me to notice various groups of girls—_attractive, popular _girls—ogling Sasuke, shooting him flirtatious glances. There was a burning sensation in my chest and my stomach churned relentlessly. I fidgeted in my seat uncomfortably. It was probably just heartburn.

_'Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Sakura.'_

The high school heartthrob was oblivious to the lingering stares, eating his lunch calmly.

"Where's Shikamaru?" Ino asked, trying not to seem too curious. I rolled my eyes from behind my glasses._ 'She's sooo obvious!' _

Naruto answered, "Still in the lunch line."

"So," Neji turned toward Tenten and repeated his question from before, "Who don't you like?"

"U-Umm... I-It's..." Tenten frantically searched her mind for an excuse. Ino decided to step in.

"Oh, Tenten was just telling us about how much she doesn't like that new substitute physics teacher," she piped up, saving Tenten from embarrassment. Neji looked at the two girls skeptically before shrugging his broad shoulders and returning to his food. Tenten's shoulders sagged in relief, mouthing a quick 'thank you' to Ino.

As everyone began to eat, Naruto's gaze landed on Ino. The corners of his lips turned downwards. The loud boy caught the eye of his two best friends and jutted his head in Ino's direction. Neji and Sasuke glanced at the said girl. They frowned as well.

Sasuke grabbed a small bag of some sort of sugary snack off of his tray and tossed it at Ino. The head cheerleader caught it before it hit her face, shooting him a bewildered look. "I don't like sweets," Sasuke replied to Ino's unsaid question.

"Oh, uh, thanks?"

That was when I noticed Ino's lunch.

"Ino, why did you only get a salad for lunch?" I asked, pointing to her tiny bowl of greens. Ino usually ate the most out of all of us. It was weird seeing her eat so little.

Ino sighed. "Yesterday, my mom told me that I looked a little heavy, so I decided to go on a diet."

The upset cheerleader stabbed at her food with a frown on her face. I scoffed. Ino's mother was the vainest person I had ever met. Though Ino may seem overly confident, her mother was the reason why she had self-esteem issues.

"Ino, you are the skinniest girl I know. You don't need to go on a diet. Your mom is crazy, so don't listen to her!" yelled an outraged Tenten. Ino didn't reply, and just continued to eat her food quietly. Her issues with her mother was a sensitive topic.

"Are you g-guys prepared for t-t-the g-game against Sound H-High today?" Hinata asked Naruto in her meek voice. The hyperactive boy grinned cheekily and stated, "Of course, we're gonna wipe the floor with them! Make sure you cheer for me, yeah?" Hinata nodded and smiled, blushing heavily.

Shikamaru appeared with a tray overloaded with food (_'Where the heck do guys put it all?'_) and took the seat in-between Ino and Naruto. The lazy genius was about to pick up his chopsticks, but suddenly froze. Shikamaru scowled when he caught a glimpse of Ino and her tiny bowl of food. His lips were set into a grim line. The seventeen-year-old Nara picked up a sandwich on his tray and placed in on Ino's tray, near the bag of sweets Sasuke had given her. Ino's head snapped up.

"Huh?" The blue-eyed girl stared at Shikamaru in confusion.

"You could afford to gain a few pounds, Ino. You look like a twig." Shikamaru shrugged. "Just making sure you're eating right."

"Oh, um... Thanks, Shikamaru-kun."

I could literally see the hearts forming in Ino's eyes. Laughter bubbled up in my throat. The way she was gazing at him made me positive that she had just fallen in love with Shikamaru all over again.

"Hey Ino, what score did you get for Kurenai's literature test?" Tenten asked. "Remember that we still have that bet going on."

"What bet?" inquired Naruto.

"Whoever scores higher on the test gets to give the loser a dare they can't refuse," Ino responded, taking her test out of her huge designer purse. I rolled my eyes as my best friends exchanged their test. Tenten and Ino had been betting against each other ever since they first met. I reasoned that it was because they had very competitive natures.

Ino slammed the paper down and screamed, "Yes, I won! I scored higher than you. In your face, sucka!"

"You gotta be kidding me," Tenten groaned, placing her bowed head in her hands. Neji hesitated before reaching over and giving his only female best friend an awkward one-armed hug, as if he was trying to comfort the brown-eyed teen, but didn't know how.

Tenten removed her hands to reveal her pouting face. "So what embarrassing and/or disgusting stunt are you going to make me do this time?" She leaned on her side and into Neji's embrace. I was surprised that Neji hadn't retracted his arm from her. The Hyuuga heir actually seemed somewhat _relieved_ when Tenten didn't push him away.

'_Hmm...'_

"Oh, you'll see. I'll give it to you after school." Ino smiled deviously. I felt sorry for Tenten. The last time Tenten lost a bet, Ino dared her to eat the mystery meat that the cafeteria served. Eww...

Ino glanced at her purple cell phone and suddenly announced, "Sakura, we should get going. The girls are waiting for us in the gym."

_'Crap, I almost forgot about cheer practice today. Ugh, stupid dare.' _

The two of us stood up and collected our things. Ino and I were about to walk away from the table when Sasuke suddenly grabbed my wrist and spun me around. I nearly tripped.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

I was about to reply, but Ino cut me off by saying, "It's a surprise."

Sasuke glared at Ino for butting in. He opened his mouth, most likely to insult Ino, but the head cheerleader yanked my wrist out of Sasuke's grasp and dragged me towards the exit. I fought the urge to brush off the tingles on my arm that my crush had caused.

_'Being near Sasuke always makes my stomach feel weird...'_

**Gymnasium (Friday: Free Period)**

I collapsed on the woodened floors, breathing hard. The sweat caused my clothes to uncomfortably cling to my body and my bangs were matted to my forehead. It had been a _long_ time since I had done any flips, so I was a little rusty. Plus, my glasses kept falling off, causing me to trip frequently. My form was a bit off and I couldn't stick my landings. Oh well, practice makes perfect.

"Sakura!"

I sat up slowly and turned my head towards Ino. She flashed a bright smiled and gave me a thumbs up. "You did great, Forehead!" A frown crossed my features when I noticed she hadn't even broken a sweat. Not a hair out of place.

_'Sooo not fair...'_

"_**Attention all students!**_" I jumped slightly when the speakers crackled. "_**There will be no school on Monday due to a Teacher's In-service. Thank you and have a good weekend**_."

Cheers erupted from the female students inside the gym. One of the black-haired cheerleaders, Kimio, whirled her towel in the air and did a victory lap around the gym. I laughed loudly.

**Sasuke's Room (Friday: After School)**

"Okay, factor this expression: x^3 y^6 plus 8m^12," I told Sasuke.

"The formula would be (F minus S)(F^2 plus FS plus S^2) and the solution would be (xy^2)^3 plus (2m^4)^3, right?" Sasuke inquired, concentrating on the textbook.

"Yup," I confirmed. The Uchiha heir worked out the equation on a piece of paper, punching numbers into his calculator every now and then.

"The answer is (xy^2 plus 2m^4)(x^2 y^4 minus 2m^4 xy^2 plus 4m^8)," he stated.

"That's right! Nice work, Sasuke!" I smiled brightly at him, pride swelling up in my chest.

Sasuke slowly turned his head towards me and he just... _stared_. For several moments. Suddenly, he snapped out of it and pulled his gaze back down to his work sheet. The Uchiha heir cupped the back of his neck, his right eye twitching.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, a little irritably. The seventeen-year-old boy used the sleeve of his button-up shirt to wipe away beads of sweat from his forehead. I frowned and wrapped my arms around myself, wondering how on earth could he be sweating. It was practically freezing in here.

"Do number fourteen. It's a word problem. Here's the question: The time necessary to complete a project varies inversely with the number of engineers who work on the project and directly with the amount of money invested. When two engineers work and $1000 is invested, the project takes five days. How many days will it take to complete the project if three engineers work and $3000 is invested? Remember that the formula is T equals K(C) divided by E, so you would solve for T."

My tutoree took a while to solve the problem._ 'Sasuke looks so cute when he's concen—Ugh! This is not the time to be ogling your crush, Sakura.' _

I shifted in my seat, absentmindedly studying the interior of his room. My eyes landed on the wall clock and I noticed it was almost two-fifteen. School got out at one-thirty on Fridays and Sasuke had to go to the soccer field soon to warm up.

"T equals ten days," Sasuke answered, eyes glued firmly to his paper.

"That's correct." I stretched out my aching muscles and yawned, closing my eyes.

_'Man, tutoring is tiring...'_

"So!" My eyes shot open at Sasuke's sudden outburst as he abruptly stood up, his chair almost tipping over. "I'm going to get a drink. Want one?" Sasuke asked in a very _slightly _high-pitched voice, avoiding all eye contact. I tried to read his weird facial expression, but he quickly slipped his emotionless mask back on.

"Umm... Sure." I nodded hesitantly, "Uch—Sasuke, are you okay?"

"Aa."

Sasuke exited the room, stalking off. He slammed the door shut.

I cocked my head to the side, confused.

Sasuke had been acting weird the whole tutoring session, and I couldn't figure out what was his problem. He was quieter than usual, tense, and a lot more jumpy. For example, my hand accidentally brushed against his when I pointed out a mistake he made and Sasuke flipped out. He bolted out of the room using the excuse that he needed to go talk to Niro, the butler, about something important. I blamed his behavior on nerves. He had an important soccer game at four o'clock today.

_'But then again... When has Sasuke ever been nervous?'_

**SASUKE'S P.O.V.**

As soon as I slammed my bedroom door shut, I practically sprinted to the bathroom down the hall.

Locking the bathroom door, I checked my reflection in the mirror. I barely recognized the flustered-looking teenager staring back at me, panting harshly and sweating. _'You gotta be kidding me.'_ I'm a friggin' Uchiha. We don't _do_ flustered.

Slowly, I undid the first two buttons on my shirt and sighed. My hands gripped the edge of the sink, knuckles turning white. I started taking deep breaths to calm myself down, willing the redness to disappear from my face.

Splashing cold water on my face cooled me down. The ice-cold water helped my head clear up a little. Cursing under my breath, I mentally berated myself for acting so stupid while Sakura was just sitting right in front of me... willing and submissiv—

_'GAH!'_ I splashed more water on my face. _'Stupid teenage hormones!'_

After I had finally calmed down, I exited the bathroom and found a maid, ordering her to bring up some drinks to my room. Begrudgingly, I approached my bedroom door. I reluctantly turned the knob, pushing the door open. My eyes instantly landed on Sakura, who had gotten bored during my disappearance and was now reading a thick book. Nothing new there. I leaned against the door frame and just studied her for a while.

"Uchiha-sama."

The motherly, soft voice of my maid caught both of our attentions. Sakura looked surprised to find me back in my bedroom. Apparently, she was too enthralled with her book to notice my entrance.

I grabbed the drinks with a muttered thanks to the maid. She bowed lowly and left my room to continue with her chores. I walked over to Sakura and handed her a bottle. Popping mine open, I took a sip.

"Thanks, Sasuke."

Sakura smiled up at me and I began to feel uneasy once again. It was almost as if there was a weight on my chest that hindered my breathing patterns.

"Hn." I gulped down the remains of the liquid. For some reason, my throat felt dry.

"I think we're done," Sakura stated, setting the drink aside. "You have to go back to the school for warm-ups before two-thirty, right?"

"Aa," I confirmed, tossing my empty bottle in a nearby waste bin and grabbing my black gym bag that contained my soccer uniform and padding.

"Can I just catch a ride with you to the school? I'm going to watch the game."

I nodded and poked her forehead, careful not the touch the bump from yesterday. "Let's go."

**NEJI'S P.O.V. (Friday: KPHS Soccer Field)**

"Okay everyone, I want you all to do some stretches and warm up with a partner," I ordered. Gai-sensei was running late due to a meeting, so as captain of the team, I had to play coach while he was gone. Soon, everyone was doing as I commanded.

Glancing at my watch, I realized that we still had another hour before our opponents from Sound High showed up. Sound was pretty far away from Konohagakure, so we had to schedule a late soccer game. Usually, our soccer games began at three. The bleachers were still empty except for a few students here and there. The cheerleaders were practicing their routine on the other side of the field.

The atmosphere was slightly tense as we warmed-up. We had never challenged Sound High before, since the school was relatively new and had just formed a soccer team this year, and so we had no idea what to expect.

I noticed Sasuke seemed distracted and he kept glancing at the bleachers. Curious, I followed Sasuke's gaze. I couldn't help but let out a silent snicker when I realized what... or more like _who_ he was staring at.

On the bleachers sat Sakura, her head buried in a thick book. Her long, pink bangs created a veil, shielding her face from view. I looked back at Sasuke and noticed he was still sending glances at Sakura from time to time. What Sasuke failed to notice was that whenever he looked away from Sakura, she would lift her eyes off of her book to stare at him, but quickly snap her eyes back to the tome whenever he glanced her way. I shook my head at the stupidity of it all. _'Clueless...'_

"Uchiha," I called. Sasuke reluctantly tore his eyes off of Sakura to clash with mine.

"Focus. This isn't a good time to be distracted."

I gave a pointed-look in Sakura's direction. My dark-haired teammate stiffened when he realized the underlying meaning of my words, appearing slightly pissed off. I fought the urge to groan in annoyance. The hardest thing about being team captain was dealing with the moody Uchiha. He didn't like being told what to do, and if anyone mentioned his not-so-secret infatuation with the school nerd, he'd explode.

Bending down to strap on my shin guards, I quietly sighed and shook my head. The last thing I needed was a distracted Sasuke.

_'Speaking of distractions, where's Tenten?'_

"Has anyone seen Tenten?" I asked my team, standing up from my crouched position.

A resounding "no" was my only reply. I frowned and crossed my arms out of annoyance. Everyone was present except for her. Tenten was always prompt (_'Which was one of her admirable qualities. Not that I _admire _her or anything...'_), so I couldn't help but feel a little worried that she was late.

Suddenly, I heard heavy foot steps behind me. I didn't even have to turn around to know it was Tenten. Call it a sixth sense or whatever you want. I just knew.

"Sorry I'm late!" I heard Tenten apologize, panting from running. "I lost track of time."

I twisted around to face Tenten, ready to scold her for not coming on time. The scowl was immediately wiped off my face and my throat tightened as soon as I caught sight of her appearance.

_'WHAT THE FU—!'_

**KIBA'S P.O.V.**

My jaw dropped as I stopped my stretches. I rubbed my eyes, convinced the sight in front of me was just a figment of my imagination. Before me stood Tenten, her hair _let down _and only wearing a sports bra to cover her top half. I'll admit I was somewhat disappointed to see that she still wore the soccer team's uniform shorts.

...But daaaannggg! Who knew our little tomboy was so hot? This was the first time I've ever seen her with her hair down. Her brunette hair reached past her waist. And my gosh, that girl had _**curves**__! _

"Neji-kun? What's wrong?" Tenten pouted, acting as if nothing was amiss. She waved her hand in front of her dumb-struck best friend.

Her actions broke me out of my trance. I looked around to see my teammates still in a state of shock. No surprise there. The reactions were justified since we had always considered her "one of the guys". Only the principle, coach, team, and some students knew that a girl was on the_ boys varsity soccer team_. She wore a wig during games and practice. The team even called her "Tenshi" to protect her identity. We knew our opponents would complain or refuse to play against us because of her gender, so we kept it a secret.

My eyes quickly shifted to Neji, eager to see his reaction to the object of his affection's new appearance. I began to laugh—no, guffaw. His expression was abso-friggin'-lutely priceless! Man, I wished I had a camera to take a picture! That would make the best blackmail_ ever_.

**NEJI'S P.O.V. **

Her hair was down... WHY WAS HER HAIR DOWN?

"I-I-I..."

Did I just _stutter_? Hyuugas do not _stutter _(Hinata was a special exception).

My heart thrashed against my ribcage as I began to hyperventilate. All I could do was gawk at the practically half-naked Tenten. My breaths came out rough as I managed to take a couple of steps away from Tenten, leaning my head back as far way as possible. The blush on my face intensified ten-fold when I realized that it just gave me a better view of her body.

My traitorous eyes started to roam her body, starting from the top of her head and ending at her small, shoe-clad feet. Her brown hair framed her face perfectly, the brunette strands curled due to the fact that she constantly puts it up in buns. The fact that she was more... _well endowed _than most girls did NOT help with the situation.

My eyes kept repeating the process until realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt disgusted with myself. I had just... _mentally molested _my best friend!

Quickly, I tore my wide eyes away from her, trying to find a spot to ogl—Uh... I-I mean... _look at_.

Then realized I wasn't the only one who had checked out—eh—_noticed_ Tenten's new appearance.

"I'd tap that..." Hosaka Keanu whispered to one of the other players. Unfortunately, Tenten heard the grotesque statement also. She blushed, mortified.

Something inside me snapped.

**TENTEN'S P.O.V.**

I watched in confusion as Neji's expression changed from shocked to absolutely livid in a nanosecond.

"Why the _hell_ aren't you in team uniform?" he hissed out. I winced when I heard the tone of his voice. Looks like _someone_ was pissed off.

My arms crossed over my chest to cover myself. I had never felt so uncomfortable in my life. Everyone was just... _staring_. I was going to kill Ino when I got my hands on her. She dared me to leave my hair down and wear the sports bra she bought me for Christmas to warm-up. It was the cruelest dare she had ever given me. Though, I was glad that she was merciful enough to allow me to wear my regular uniform pants.

"Relax, Neji-kun. This was Ino's dare," I explained. Neji's eyes darkened, narrowing into thin slits. I couldn't help but shrink back when I saw how my best friend was glaring at me. I gulped.

He exploded.

"I don't care if this is a dare! And why the hell is your hair down? The team from Sound High is going to be here any minute and you decide to play dress up? Do you know how dangerous it would be if someone from another school found out there's a girl on our soccer team? How could you be so stupid?! Why can't you get it through your thick head that you should be careful?"

My heart twisted inside as my eyes watered. I had never, ever heard Neji raise his voice; and the fact that I was the person he was yelling at made it even worse.

"B-But—" I stuttered, bowing my head to hide the tears.

"No buts! Just go and get changed before I kick you off the team!" Neji yelled, veins protruding from his neck.

"But I—"

"Hyuuga Tenten! Dammit! Do as I say!"

"..."

(Insert _extremely _awkward silence)

"..."

"W-W-What d-did you j-just call m-me?" I whispered, wide-eyed.

My jaw slacked as I felt light-headed. The tears were completely forgotten. My heart started beating a thousand miles per hour. My whole body was numb from intense shock. I nearly fainted. By then, all of my teammates were gaping. Their eyes were bulging out of their sockets. Naruto and Kiba were muttering that this was even better than cable. Did Neji just call me _**Hyuuga**__ Tenten_? Are my ears playing tricks on me, or did Neji just attach _my name _to _his family name_?

Neji's expression suddenly changed from pissed off to horrified right before his face was devoid of all emotions. His face was completely blank. No emotion whatsoever. He pivoted on his heel and turned his back on me.

"Everyone continue to warm up," Neji barked out to the team. Murderous waves rolled off of him. Everyone quickly averted their gaze and did as Neji commanded, afraid to face his wrath.

The Hyuuga heir slowly peered over his shoulder. Our eyes locked. My heart jumped to my throat and my cheeks heated up.

"Tenten... I..." Neji started, but shook his head and turned away from me. "Go get changed," he muttered quietly, before briskly walking away.

In a daze, I nodded dumbly and headed towards the locker room. I was in a dream-like state, my body moving on it's own violation. As I was changing, a large smile made it's way up to my face.

_'Hyuuga Tenten... I like the sound of that.'_

**SAKURA'S P.O.V. (Friday: Five o'clock)**

"HE CALLED YOU _**HYUUGA **__TENTEN_! IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH PROOF TO SHOW YOU THAT HE LIKES YOU, THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS!" Ino screeched.

"It was an accident. He was pretty pissed off, so he didn't know what he was saying at the time," Tenten said, blushing. Ino and I rolled our eyes at Tenten's obvious denial. Hinata patted the sweaty girl on the back.

The game had just finished a while ago and the four of us were hanging out at the Hyuuga mansion, since Hinata lived closest to the school. The shy girl had showed up fifteen minutes before the game started. Ino and I used the extra time to relay what went down between Neji and Tenten. Hinata had nearly fainted from shock when she heard what her cousin had called her best friend.

"I don't think I can face Neji ever again, but I have to see him everyday at school and practice. It's going to be so awkward!" Tenten groaned, burying her head in Hinata's pillow. "We almost lost today because I couldn't keep my head in the game. I can't believe I got benched!"

"You know what you need? A vacation!" Ino suggested. "It'll give you time to think about handling the situation with Neji. We have a three-day weekend. This is the _perfect_ time to get away and relax."

I raised an eyebrow. "But where would we go?"

Silence filled Hinata's bedroom as we contemplated on where to go for the weekend. Hinata finally spoke up, "We c-could spend the weekend at m-my beach house. Otou-sama s-said I could use it any t-time I wanted to."

Ino glanced at her designer watch. "Then it's settled. C'mon girls, it's a two-hour drive. We should get there before sunset."

We all nodded. Hinata stood up and started to pack her duffle bag. Suddenly, I remembered my responsibility as a tutor. "Sorry guys, but I don't think I could go. I have to tutor Sasuke during the weekend."

"Just text him and say that you're too busy. Tenten needs us right now. I'm sure Sasuke would understand," Ino stated, tossing me her cell phone.

I sighed and pushed up the glasses on the bridge of my nose. "Fine..." I sent Sasuke a quick text saying that I wouldn't be able to tutor him this weekend. A guilty feeling settled in my gut. I had promised to tutor him, yet here I was, gallivanting to the beach with my best friends.

After Hinata got her things together, Ino drove to the rest of our houses so we could grab our things to bring on our little weekend trip.

**Hinata's Beach House (Friday: Seven o'clock)**

Two hours later, we arrived at Hinata's beach house. The location was beautiful and peaceful. The beach house was a large, white, two-story with a deck that wrapped completely around it. The Hyuugas owned the whole beach, so there weren't any houses for miles around.

Hinata fished a key out of her purse and unlocked the door. "Father p-purchased this place when I-I was little. T-The house h-has four bedrooms, so everyone will h-have their own r-room," Hinata explained as we carried our bags into the house. I rolled my eyes at the number of bags Ino had brought for the weekend.

"Hinata and I will take the rooms on the top floor. Tenten and Sakura, you guys cool with the room down here?" We nodded, used to Ino calling all of the shots. It was easier that way.

Hinata, Tenten, and Ino dropped their bags in the middle of the living room. "Let's go take a walk on the beach and watch the sunset!" Ino squealed excitedly. Hinata and Tenten seemed to like the idea.

"You guys go ahead. I'm going to put my things away first," I said, gripping the handle of my bag tighter.

"Okay, but it you want to join us, you know where to find us," Tenten stated.

"See ya, Forehead!" Ino quickly grabbed Hinata and Tenten, dragging them out the door. I chuckled at her childish behavior.

Sighing, I approached one of the bedroom doors and turned the knob, pushing the door open. Looking up, my body was suddenly paralyzed. The sight before me caused my stomach to drop to my bowels.

Sasuke stood in the bedroom, staring back at me with a shocked expression... in nothing but his boxers.

"AAAAHHHHHH!"

_End of eighth chapter_

XXXXX

**Author's Note: **PLEASE REVIEW!

God bless,

Teddy


	9. Doomed

**DEDICATION: **THE NINTH CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ShadowDarknessCherryBlossom **FOR BEING MY **700th REVIEWER**! I'M VERY SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR CONDITION. I'LL KEEP YOU IN MY PRAYERS AS YOU FIGHT AGAINST LUNG CANCER. **STAY STRONG AND DON'T GIVE UP! =) **

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto (or Bleach).

...

**Chapter Nine: Doomed**

XXXXX

**SASUKE'S P.O.V. (Friday)**

"Neji, stop banging your head against my car. You'll get a concussion. Plus, if your big head leaves a dent, I'll kill you," Shikamaru said before closing his eyes and leaning against his beloved black truck. Neji stopped pounding his head against Shikamaru's window and slouched against the vehicle. He crossed his arms and started to glare at the pavement.

Hyuuga looked like he was ready to claw his eyes out.

Naruto, Shikamaru, the currently PSM-ing Neji, and I were standing in the school parking lot, still dressed in our soccer uniforms and wondering what to do now that the game against Sound High was over. Our team almost lost because Tenten couldn't seem to keep her head in the game. She sucked so badly that the coach was forced to bench her. Neji on the other hand was just plain pissed, which caused him to loose focus. He was acting irritable and had been snapping at us for no apparent reason. We had won by a mere point, which was a first.

"Cheer up, Neji! She probably didn't figure out that you like her!" Naruto smiled brightly, trying to lighten the mood. Out of nowhere, Neji suddenly grabbed the front of Naruto's uniform and yanked him forwards. He brought Naruto to his eye level and glared viscously at him.

"I called her _**Hyuuga**__ Tenten_. I friggin' attached _her_ first name to _my_ family name. Of course she figured out I like her! She's not an idiot like you!" Neji hissed through clenched teeth.

The dobe looked like he wanted to wet his pants.

"Neji, let go of Naruto," Shikamaru ordered, "We understand you're not in a good mood right now, but don't take it out on the idiot. Troublesome..."

Neji released his grip on Naruto's collar and resumed his previously position. Naruto stumbled backwards, looking relieved that Neji didn't kill him.

At that moment, I realized that I should do something about the Neji and Tenten situation. Our soccer match against Lightening High was coming up, so Neji and Tenten had to sort out their bull. The two of them were our best players, so they had to keep their heads in the game or else we'll lose. Uchihas do **not** lose.

_'All I need is a plan...'_

"So how's operation S.O.S. going?" Naruto asked, pulling me out of my musings.

"Hn." I shifted my weight to my right leg. There was no way was I admitting that my plan hadn't been working.

"You know what would be easier? Growing a pair and actually _telling_ her." Naruto rolled his blue eyes.

"Shut it, dobe." I smacked him upside the head. Naruto attempted to lunge at me, but Shikamaru grabbed the blonde's shirt and pushed Naruto farther away.

"I swear, you two fight like little kids," Shikamaru complained, "Stop being so troublesome. You're going to give me a migraine."

"Teme started it," Naruto muttered, acting like a child who was being scolded by his mother.

"Yeah, and I'm ending it. You guys have been stressing out too much. You know what we all need? We need to get away for a while," Shikamaru suggested, "It's a three-day weekend. Might as well use it to our advantage."

"Yeah!" Naruto agreed, "We should go to Neji's beach house for the weekend! It's been a while since we've been wasted and Neji looks like he could use a drink."

"No alcohol during soccer and basketball season." I shook my head firmly. Neji and Shikamaru nodded in agreement.

"Spoil sports," Naruto whined, but didn't continue with his protest.

"I guess it's okay to use the beach house this weekend. My uncle is out of the country, but I know he won't mind if we use it," Neji grumbled lowly, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

I raised a skeptical brow. "Avoiding going home, Hyuuga? You never let us visit the beach house, especially after Naruto lit the carpet on fire."

"Hey! That was an accident!"

The brunette seventeen-year-old shrugged and looked away. "Hinata always invites her friends over during the weekend."

Oh.

"It's settled then," Shikamaru droned, tired from our game. "Let's go."

We got into Shikamaru's big, black four-wheel drive and sped off to Naruto's home, then afterwards to the Nara Mansion so they could pack for the weekend. When we arrived at the Hyuuga household, the four of us spotted Ino's car in the driveway. That could only mean one thing...

The girls were here.

Neji immediately tensed up as he wearily eyed the entrance to his home, reluctant to head inside.

"Stop being such a wuss, Hyuuga," I snorted.

"Shut it, Uchiha." The anxious teenager shot me an icy glare before slipping out of the car and marching into his house. He came back out after only six minutes and four of us drove over to my house. On our way there, I remembered something important.

"I forgot that I need to attend the tutoring sessions."

"Just call Sakura and say you can't make it," Naruto suggested. I reached into my pocket and took out my cell.

"Dead battery... Shikamaru, give me your cell phone."

Shikamaru took his phone off of his dashboard and handed it to me. There wasn't any answer when I called. I dialed Sakura's house number. One of her maids answered and I left a message saying I wasn't able to attend the tutoring sessions over the weekend.

**Neji's Beach House (Friday: Six forty-five) **

It didn't take long for us to get settled in. Neji was locking up the garage while the rest of us were hanging out in the living room.

"Let's go check out the beach!" exclaimed a hyper Naruto. He turned to Shikamaru. "You could go stare at the... clouds or whatever."

Shikamaru seemed to perk up at the idea. I twisted my torso from side to side, willing the pain in my shoulder blade to subside. One of the players from the other team side-tackled me during the game, causing me to land on my back.

"You guys go ahead. Don't wait up for me. I'm tired," I stated, walking toward my temporary bedroom and into the adjoining bathroom. I was pretty dirty, so I decided to take a shower. Quickly, I stripped out of my uniform and turned on the water.

"Teme, we're leaving!" Naruto yelled from outside the bedroom. I heard a door slam shut a second later.

After a couple minutes, I strolled out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around my waist. The pain in my back had yet to disappear. I fished out some clothes from my bag, pulling on a pair of boxers first. I threw my towel on a nearby chair and adjusted my necklace.

I froze when I heard the door knob turning. My jaw nearly dropped when I saw who had opened the door.

It was Sakura.

Her eyes widened when she saw me standing in the room... in nothing but my boxers.

**SAKURA'S P.O.V. (Friday)**

"AAAAHHHHHH!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. My bag dropped to the ground as I gawked at the half-naked Sasuke.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" I yelled, desperately trying to calm my rapidly palpitating heart. The dark-haired teen stared at me like I had grown a second head.

"What am _I_ doing here?" He scoffed, "The real question is what are _you _doing here?"

"I sent you a text saying I couldn't tutor you because I was coming to Hinata's beach house for the weekend!" I yelled, walking into the room. The walls vibrated from the intensity of how hard I slammed the door shut.

"My cell phone's battery is dead. Besides, you didn't answer your cell. I even called your home and left a message with your maid saying that I was at Neji's beach house," Sasuke explained.

"Oh, that makes sens—Wait... Did you just say that _Neji_ is here?" I broke out into cold sweat. Neji could _not_ be here while Tenten was here too!

"Yeah, why?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Tenten is here, too! We came so she could get away from Neji!" I groaned, biting my nails to ease my panic.

"She's here? That's good news. It'll make my job a lot easier."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"Neji needs to finally tell Tenten how he feels about her. This bull has gone on long enough. I was going to stay out of this whole mess, but it's starting to affect the soccer team and we have a game against a rival school coming up."

"NEJI LIKES TENTEN? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?" I smacked Sasuke's bare arm. He barely flinched.

"You never asked," Sasuke mocked. I glared at him then stuck my tongue out. He rolled is onyx orbs in an annoyed manner.

"So how are we supposed to fix this situation when they can't even stay in the same room with each other right now?" I queried. "They just had an argument today. I've never seen Neji get so pissed off before. Tenten didn't even do anything! Then Neji called her '_Hyuuga Tenten_'! Do you know how confused Tenten is right now?"

"Hyuuga is not in any better condition than Tenten. He's been all twitchy and annoying after that thing that went down at the soccer field. He's afraid Tenten figured out he likes her."

Sasuke ran his hand through his wet, matted hair (which was strangely still spiked at the back). A towel was draped on a chair nearby, hinting Sasuke must've just came out of the shower before I barged in. I watched as a single droplet of water dripped from his raven locks unto his shoulder and made it's way down to his rock hard, muscular ch—

"AAAHHHH!" I screamed, quickly turning away and covering my eyes with my hands. We were so caught up with discussing Tenten and Neji that I forgot he was only wearing his boxers!

"S-Sasuke, could y-you _please_ put some c-clothes on," I stuttered out, my face red hot. Now I know how Hinata feels. I wasn't used to seeing shirtless guys and the fact that the guy I was practically in love with was standing in front of me barely clothed made me feel faint.

After a while, I took my hands off my face to glance at Sasuke. Squeaking, I smacked my hands over my eyes again when I saw that he still hadn't made to move to get dressed.

"S-Sasuke! P-P-Put o-n your c-clothes!" I commanded. Sasuke was way too_ hot _for his own good! Unless he wanted me to jump him, he'd _better_ get dressed.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted right before the sound of unzipping a bag and the shifting of clothes filled the room.

"I'm done," Sasuke's monotone voice announced. I hesitantly uncovered my eyes to peer at Sasuke. He wore a dark blue sweat-shirt with the Uchiha crest on the back and a pair of black basketball shorts.

"Ahem." I adjusted my glasses and straighten my red hoodie. Being near Sasuke always made me feel insecure. He was so... _perfect_. The Uchiha heir embodied perfection. Sasuke was muscular, but not overly muscular. He had a lean, well conditioned body that made all the girls go gaga, complete with aristocratic features and the most piercing eyes that I had ever seen.

_'Why did I even think I had a chance with someone like him? It's obvious he's not—'_

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Tenten scream came from the living room.

I sighed, "C'mon. Let's go help sort out this mess." Sasuke trailed after me as I exited the bedroom.

Our friends were standing in the middle of the living room. Shikamaru was sitting on the recliner with a surprised look on his face. A gaping Ino was standing right beside Tenten. Naruto was hugging Hinata like there was no tomorrow, totally oblivious to the awkward tension that filled the room. Neji was staring intensely at Tenten, while she was looking at anything and everything except him.

"Umm... It seems that we came up with the same plans for the weekend. Err... Surprise?" I let out a weak laugh, trying to ease the tension.

"I'm going for a walk," Tenten mumbled, turning towards the door.

"But you just came back from a wal—Gah, that hurt!" Naruto clutched his arms where I had punched him in an attempt to shush him. "Stupid woman and her violent tendencies..."

"What did you say?"

"N-Nothing!"

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

By the time I was done speaking, Tenten was long gone. She practically sprinted out of the house while Naruto and I were bickering. Neji stared blankly at the spot Tenten had vacated for several moments. His left eye twitched before the seventeen-year-old brunette stomped into what appeared to be his room and slammed the door shut.

Silence.

"Well, that was... interesting," Ino muttered, sitting down on the couch that directly faced the television. Hinata and Naruto followed her actions, taking the seats next to her.

"So how are we going to fix this troublesome mess?" Shikamaru queried, kicking his feet up on the coffee table.

"This is ridiculous! They both like each other, yet neither one of them wants to admit it!" I yelled, exasperated. I plopped down on the love-seat facing Shikamaru's recliner. Sasuke came and sat beside me.

"NEJI LIKES TENTEN?" Ino cried, "I KNEW IT!"

We all rolled our eyes at her except Shikamaru, who merely chuckled at her antics.

"S-So what's the plan?" Hinata questioned.

Shikamaru shot the shy girl a curious look. "Plan?"

"Yes, to g-get Neji-nii-san and Tenten t-to makeup."

"I'll think of something," Sasuke said, "I just need you guys to cooperate when the right time comes."

The five of us nodded in agreement. Ino turned her attention to Shikamaru and Naruto, who were dirty and still in their soccer uniforms, scrunching her nose. "Go take a shower, you two. You guys stink!"

"No, I don't wanna!" Naruto protested, wrapping his arms around his girlfriend. Hinata turned bright red when her hyperactive boyfriend decided to bury his face in the back of her neck.

"Mendōkusei..." Shikamaru rubbed his temples, irritated with Naruto's childishness. The lazy genius begrudgingly rose from the recliner and pulled Naruto by his ear off the couch.

"Ouch, let go!" demanded Naruto. The seventeen-year-old Nara just ignored his best friend's pleas, casually dragging the blond up the stairs by his ear.

"I should p-prepare dinner. It's getting l-late," Hinata stated in her quiet voice, heading towards the kitchen.

"I'll help!" Ino yipped, trailing after the sixteen-year-old Hyuuga. An awkward silence fell across the room after everyone left, leaving me and Sasuke alone. My tutoree seemed perfectly content with the lull in the conversation, but it made me highly uncomfortable. My heart beat rapidly in my chest as my tongue turned sluggish. Instinctively, my hand raised to my mouth so I could chew on my nails.

"So..." I started, then my eyes lit up when they caught sight of something familiar laying near the TV.

"VIDEO GAMES!"

Then, I noticed something else...

There was only one controller.

**Later that night...**

"Sasuke, kill him!"

"Hn."

"He's behind you!"

"I can see that, Sakura..."

"Give me the controller!"

"No."

"Why not? I'm ten times better than you at this game. I'm tired of sitting here and watching you get your butt kicked by a computer. Give it to me!" I pulled my hair in frustration, glaring at my crush, who was quickly getting on my bad side.

"No."

"ARGH!" I yelled, totally loosing it. I leaped on top of Sasuke, wrestling the controller out of his grasp. He fell into a prone position when I tackled him from the side. His head rested against the arm of the couch and his knees were bent, his feet flat against the couch cusion.

"Get off of me!"

Instead of his usual irritated tone, Sasuke actually sounded... _panicked_?

Shaking my head, I brushed off my curiosity and tried to snatch the remote out of his hands, but he held it out of my reach. We continued to wrestle, yelling at each other. I knew Sasuke could have easily thrown me off of him, but he seemed scared to even touch me. He kept both hands firmly on the controller and just laid underneath me, rocking his body from side to side in a weak attempt to push me off.

"Ahem."

The two of us froze. My head whipped toward the doorway to find Ino standing there with a smug look on her face.

"Sorry, did I interrupt something?"

My face twisted in confusion. "What are you..." I trailed off when I noticed our position.

_'Oh. My. Gosh.'_

My eyes widened from behind my glasses as my heart stopped. I was straddling Sasuke while the hand that wasn't reaching for the controller pressed against his chest, pinning his upper half to the couch. And it really didn't help that the both of us were panting from wrestling match, our cheeks taking on a red hue.

Quickly, I rolled off the seventeen-year-old Uchiha, landing with an loud "umph!" on the hardwood floor. My glasses were knocked off my face from my fall, but I quickly put them back on.

"It's not what it looks like!" I defended, sure that my face was a horrible shade of purple. It was beyond embarrassing.

"Riiiiight..." Ino agreed sarcastically. In the corner of my eye, I noticed Sasuke slowly sit up. His head was lowered so that his raven bangs could shielded his face. His body appeared to be slightly trembling.

_'He must be shaking in disgust because I touched him. Ugh, if he gave me the controller like I asked, none of this would have happened!'_

Ino, still smiling wickedly, said, "Dinner is ready. Come and eat before it gets cold."

The two of us watched as Sasuke placed the controller on the couch, raised the hood of his sweat-shirt over his head, and slowly walked into the kitchen.

A confused look passed over my features. "What's wrong with him?"

Ino rolled her blue eyes. "You're too dense for your own good, forehead."

**Hyuuga Beach House (Friday: Night Time)**

The eight of us had a late dinner. Neji had reluctantly slipped out of his room right before we began eating. In the middle of supper, we heard the sound of front door open and all turned to see Tenten making her way into the house. The seventeen-year-old, still clad in her soccer uniform, sat down at the table and wordlessly picked up her chopsticks.

An awkward silence enveloped the large dinning room. My eyes darted back and forth between Neji and Tenten. The two best friends wouldn't even look at each other.

Suddenly, Sasuke let out a small hiss and worked his shoulder around, his face not betraying any pain he was feeling.

"So..." I started, "What are the sleeping arrangements for tonight?"

Ino shrugged. "There are only four bedrooms, so it looks like we've got to share."

"I'm not sharing a room with Naruto," the three boys firmly stated simultaneously. Naruto gaped, offended.

"Fine, I didn't want to share a room with you guys anyways! I'll share with Hinata-chan!" Naruto exclaimed. Hinata blushed a bright red, ducking her head.

The young Uchiha's eyes shifted between Naruto and Hinata. Something flashed within his onyx orbs and one corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk. I knew that look...

Sasuke had a plan.

My tutoree met Shikamaru's eyes and they seemed to be having a silent conversation. They would subtly jut their heads in different directions, nod or shake their heads in response, and shoot pointed glances at the occupants of the dinning room.

"Naruto, don't even _attempt_ to try something funny with my cousin. If you do, I'll kill you." Neji threatened, showing his overprotective side. The Hyuuga heir closely guarded his family, but it was obvious he trusted Naruto with Hinata's welfare.

"Don't worry! Hinata is safe with me." Naruto reassured, winking at his girlfriend. The said girlfriend nearly fainted.

I shook head, propriety kicking in. "That isn't right. We're all just teenagers. A guy and a girl shouldn't be shar—"

"Sakura and I will stay in the same room." Sasuke nonchalantly extended his arm and rested it on the back of my chair.

"WHAT?" I choked on air. If I hadn't been sitting down, I'm pretty sure I would have collapsed from the shock of his statement. Clearing his throat, the Uchiha also stated, "Shikamaru and Ino could share a room also." Shikamaru shrugged weakly, embarrassment radiating off of his lazy form. Ino, on the other hand, exploded with protests.

_'I don't get it! How does sleeping in the same room with the opposite gender accomplish anything! What sort of messed up plan is that? Why would they have Hinata and Naruto, Shikamaru and Ino, and Sasuke and me share a room? That means Tenten and Neji have to sha—'_

My eyes widened in realization.

_'...Oh. They're good.'_

"I-I-I g-guess it's o-okay," I stuttered out, sinking into my seat from mortification. I fought back a blush. Ino stared at me like I had just lost a billion brain cells. I made sure no one was looking my way before I mouthed, "Just go with it."

"It's fine with me," she gritted out sarcastically, glaring at me. Tenten brought a cup up to her mouth and started to drink the contents.

"So it's settled!" Naruto exclaimed, clueless to our silent agreement.

"I guess that means Neji and Tenten will have to share a room," Ino stated, seemingly innocent.

Immediately, Tenten's eyes bulged as she spat out her water. Embarrassed and still coughing, she grabbed a napkin and began wiping up the mess she had made. Hinata reached over and softly patted Tenten's back.

Neji stiffened considerably, but refused to look up from his plate. "Tenten could stay in the room. I'll just sleep in the living room."

Nudging Sasuke's side with my elbow, I gained his attention and whispered harshly, "It's not working! Fix it!" The seventeen-year-old basketball captain nodded and got up from the table. "Hyuuga," Sasuke called, jutting his head towards the door. Neji merely stood up and followed Sasuke out of the dinning room.

"What's that about?" Naruto wondered. No one was able to answer his question.

A couple minutes later, a pissed off Neji and a smirking Sasuke finally appeared and took their seats.

"Tenten and I will share a room," Neji grumbled, glaring darkly at Sasuke. Tenten just sat there gawking, failing to protest because she had yet to regain her wits.

Dinner dragged by slowly. The silence was deafening. Even Naruto and Ino were scared to speak! The only noise that was produced was during the end of the meal, when Hinata and Ino were cleaning up.

**Friday (Midnight)**

"Well, it's late. We should go to sleep. See you guys in the morning!" Naruto dragged Hinata upstairs to their bedroom. Ino and Shikamaru also made their way upstairs.

"Night!" I called back.

I nearly jumped out of my skin when suddenly Sasuke grabbed my hand and dragged me towards our room. My head remained bowed to keep him from noticing my blush. When the door closed behind us, I sighed and leaned against the wall.

"Do you need the bathroom?" I asked. Sasuke shook his head, raven bangs fluttering around his jutting cheekbones.

"Okay." I grabbed my little bag of toiletries and rummaged through my tote, trying in vain to find something.

"What are you looking for?" Sasuke questioned, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"My nightgown. I think I forgot to pack it."

"You could use one of my shirts." Sasuke reached for his bag that was sprawled on the floor. The seventeen-year-old boy pulled out one of his many blue shirts and flung it at me.

"Arigatou, Sasuke," I thanked as I caught it in my outstretched arms. I walked into the bathroom, taking a quick shower and brushing my teeth. After I was done, I pulled on Sasuke's t-shirt and my glasses. A small giggle escaped my throat as I stared down at myself. It was huge! The hem reached my mid-thigh. It practically looked like a dress on me! Grabbing the collar, I inhaled slowly. It smelled like him.

Then, I rolled my eyes at my fangirlish behavior and opened the bathroom door. _'Stupid hormones. I swear, I could get high off of his scent alone.' _

I walked out of the restroom and promptly collided with Sasuke's chest. His arms shot out to steady me.

"Ouch." I rubbed my forehead, which still a tab bit sore from Thursday. "Oh, sor—"

I blinked.

Sasuke was _shirtless_.

He was wearing nothing but basketball shorts. His black boxers peaked out at the waistband. The silver ring attached to his necklace gleamed against his bare chest.

"Y-Y-You're going to sleep with a shirt on... right?" I choked out. Heat crept unto my cheeks as I lowered my gaze to the ground. I could feel him just... _staring_ at me.

"No," was his indifferent replied. The object of my affections passed by me and strolled into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

I wanted to cry.

**Fifteen minutes later**

Sasuke, who was (sadly?) still shirtless, and I were staring at the television, watching a cartoon. The show was widely followed throughout our country and even Sasuke seemed to enjoy it. I forgot the name of the show, though... Detergent? Bleach? Stain-fighters? Yeah, something like that.

Sasuke was resting against the back board with his legs stretched out in front of him. I was sitting Indian style in the middle of the twin-size bed, biting my nail.

_'Don't look at him. Don't look at him. Don't look at him.'_

Sasuke let out a low hiss, pulling me out of my musings. I peered over my shoulder and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I'm kind of sore from the game. My back hurts." Sasuke rubbed one of his bare shoulders with a slightly pained expression.

"Let me massage you. Come sit in front of me," I ordered. Granted, I was hoping to keep some distance between us, but I didn't want to see him in pain.

My parents were both very well-known doctors. One of their close friends was a physical therapist named Namicho. She taught me a few of things about the human body and because of her, I knew all about relieving pain by massaging.

The school jock shot me a skeptical look before complying. He sat in front of me at the edge of the bed, his feet resting flat on the floor. I kneeled behind him, hesitating before laying my hands on his bare skin. My hands gently pressed his back. I kneaded his shoulders first, working my way down his back. His muscles would ripple underneath my touch. The weary Uchiha would let out a grunt when I would press on the right spot.

"So how did you get Neji to agree to share a room with Tenten?" I questioned, tired of the silence.

"Blackmail," Sasuke replied bluntly. I laughed, shaking my head.

I peered over his shoulder to resume watching the episode, trying to distract myself from the half-naked boy in front of me. A couple minutes passed and I hadn't realize my hands had gone lower than they should.

Suddenly, Sasuke took in a sharp breath and straightened his back as if he had been electrocuted. I realized that he was reacting to a point I had accidently pressed on his lower back. If I recalled correctly, it had been a special spot that Namicho had taught me about.

_'What did she say about that particular pressure point, again? Something about getting married... Wedding night... Come on Sakura, think... Ahah! Now, I remember! It's a super sensitive spot on a male's body that made him tu_—_'_

Oh.

My.

Gosh.

"Sasuke, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to—!"

"It's fine," Sasuke interrupted, his voice sounding strangely high pitched. The shaking teenage boy quickly jumped off the bed and bolted towards the bathroom.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. I'm just going to take a shower," Sasuke responded. His voice box was severely acting up because his tone became low and hoarse all of a sudden. With that said, he shut the bathroom door.

_'Wait, didn't Sasuke already take a shower? Weird...'_

**SASUKE'S P.O.V. (Friday: Past midnight)**

Relief!

That was what I felt as soon as the icy cold water from the shower sprayed my overheated body. The cold shower had been good to calm my suddenly raging err... _nerves_, which seemed to have started acting up as soon as Sakura's delicate hands touched me.

I gritted my teeth and placed my clenched fists on the shower's titled wall, leaning all my weight unto my hands.

_'Dangit, Sasuke! Get yourself under control... Calm down...'_

She was massaging my back to help get rid of the pain. Then she had done... _something_. I had no clue what she did, but when Sakura pressed a point on my lower back and it took all my willpower pin her down and just—Uh... I-I...

Yeah.

(Plus, I highly doubted that Hinata and Neji would appreciate me and Sakura "breaking in" one of their beds.)

And on top of all of that, she was wearing my shirt. I knew I was the one who willingly gave it to her, but I wouldn't have offered it I had known that she would look so hotin my shirt. The idea of my possessions covering her delicate places made me edgy.

I ran my hands frustratingly through my wet hair and sighed. There was only so much a guy could take. I had _a lot _of self-restraint, but when it came to Sakura, I barely could contain myself.

The freezing water did it's job and I finally calmed down. I grabbed a towel off a nearby rack and wrapped it around my waist. Gathering together every once of self-control I possessed, I walked out of the bathroom.

The lights were out and the pink-haired girl had buried herself under the covers. Creeping around the room quietly, I grabbed a pair of basketball shorts and boxers out of my bag and got changed in the bathroom, coming back out as soon as I was done.

I looked down at the hard floor, glaring a hole into it.

After a long argument and protesting, I finally got Sakura to agree to my sleeping arrangement. She would take the bed while I slept on the floor. I didn't find the thought of sleeping on the ground appealing, but I didn't trust myself.

_'But my back still hurts and sleeping on the hard floor will make it worse...' _I glanced at Sakura's sleeping form. _'I'll just sleep on the other side and get out of the bed before she awakes up. She wouldn't have a clue about what happened.' _

My mind was made up.

Slowly, eased myself onto my bed and slid under the covers. My body relaxed as I nodded off, but my eyelids instantly flew open when I felt a weight settle on my chest. Then, an arm snaked it's way across my middle, startling me. Apparently, Sakura had rolled over in her sleep and decided to use me as her pillow.

I tried to untangle myself from her, but every time I moved, she would tighten her grip.

Mortification and anxiousness—along with another feeling I didn't dare to define—filled me as I realized I had to sleep with Sakura cuddled to my side for a _whole night_. _Eight _frikkin' _hours_...

It's official. I'm doomed.

_End of ninth chapter_

XXXXX

**Author's Note: **Thanks for all the support, guys. Even the one-worded reviews and the simple "update soon!" make me smile :D

God bless,

Teddy


	10. Just Friends

**DEDICATION: **THE TENTH CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO **tamika38 **FOR BEING MY **800th REVIEWER**! THANK YOU!

**I DID NOT PROOF READ AND MY ENGLISH SUCKS, SO PLEASE DISREGUARD ALL GRAMMAR ERRORS. THANK YOU!**

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

...

**Chapter Ten: Just Friends**

**TENTEN'S P.O.V. (FRIDAY: Midnight)**

I watched as Sasuke held onto Sakura's hand as he led her into the room they would be sharing for the night. Poor Sakura was blushing like crazy. She'd better give me all the details of her night with Sasuke in the morning!

As their bedroom door slammed shut, an awkward silence filled the room. I nervously glanced at Neji to only see that he was staring at me.

"Umm... We should go to sleep."

Neji didn't respond and continued to stare at me with his piercing, lavender eyes.

I quickly turned my head away, embarrassed. Those stupid butterflies in my stomach were acting up again.

I started to walk towards our room. I could hear Neji's heavy footsteps right behind me. I cringed, knowing for a fact he was still pissed at me.

I felt incredibly stupid. Neji would constantly warn me about making sure that others wouldn't find out that I was on the soccer team. Only a few students, the teachers, and the principal knew about me being on the team.

The school could've been sued because of my stupidity! It was against the rules for me to play on an _all boy's team, _but Gai-sensei saw me playing with Neji during our freshmen year and begged me to join the soccer team. I couldn't say no.

Shortly after Gai place me in the team, we came up with a plan to hide my true gender so I'd be permitted to play on the team. That's when the idea of 'Tenshi', my boy persona, came to mind. During soccer games, I had to wear an itchy wig, a wrap around my chest, and my teammates have to call me by my "guy name". It was uncomfortable and I felt like I was living a lie, but I loved playing way too much to give up on such a great opportunity.

My hand clutched the door knob in front of me as I sighed.

I put my secret and team in danger by doing Ino's stupid dare. Neji had every right to be mad at me, but he didn't have to give me the silent treatment! We're supposed to be best friends for goodness sake!

I didn't know whether I wanted to scream or cry. I desperately wanted to ask him about the whole 'Hyuga Tenten' thing, but I was too scared to say anything. Things were already uncomfortable and awkward between us. It would only make things worse.

I was about to open the bedroom door when Neji's hand stopped my hand from turning the knob. All of the nerves in my body jumped.

"We need to talk."

Neji surprised me by dragged me to the sliding door that led to the patio. He slid the glass door shut and let go of my hand. I stared at him as he walked to the patio's railing and leaned against it, facing me.

His hands were shoved in the pockets of his dark jeans. His white button-up shirt had its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hair that was styled in a low pony tail slight blew in the breeze.

Our eyes locked. Embarrassed to be caught staring, I shifted my eyes to the beautiful view behind him. My fingers continued to nervously playing with the hem of my green tank top.

There were barely any clouds in the dark sky. The full moon was glowing and its reflection shone in the rippling waters. The moon was surrounded by billions of bright stars. The sound of the waves crashing on the shore echoed throughout the whole beach.

I would've thought the scene was romantic if I wasn't so nervous and confused. I assumed the worst.

'_Did he just bring me out here so he could scold me again? Was he going to kick me off the team?' _

I sighed for the hundredth time that night and looked down at my feet, feeling defeated.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

Neji just remained silent.

I coughed awkwardly as a lump began forming in my throat. At that moment I wished for nothing but for the events of the whole day to disappear. I wanted a redo of some sort.

My head snapped up when I felt his hand tuck a wayward strand of my hair behind my ear. I almost fainted when his hand lingered on my cheek. The way he was looking deeply into my eyes made my cheeks heat up.

I cowered uncharacteristically under his smoldering gaze. Then a sigh of relief escaped me when he retracted his hand from my blushing cheek.

"I am sorry."

My jaw dropped.

"W-What? Come again?"

My mind went completely blank for a while. Was _Hyuuga Neji___actually apologizing to me? I discretely shifted my eyes, searching for hidden cameras.

"I said I am sorry. I should not have yelled at you like that at practice. I apologize."

Neji fidgeted ever so slightly against the railing, avoiding any eye-contact with me. I had never ever heard him apologize to anyone, even in situations where he was wrong. It was nice to know that he cared enough about me to put his huge ego aside for a while.

My heart melted.

I gently took his hands in mine. His head shot up. I felt him stiffen.

"Neji-kun, you shouldn't be apologizing to me. _I'm_ the one that should be saying sorry. I put my secret and the team in danger when I did Ino's dare. I was stupid and didn't think of the consequences. I'm very sorry, Neji-kun. Forgive me?"

To my utter surprise, Neji graced me with a small, sincere smile. My heart stopped at the rare site of his smile. It was a real smile and not his usual smirk.

I could literally feel my insides melting.

Neji pulled on our joint hands and guided my arms upwards. Following his lead, I wrapped my arms around his neck. He wrapped his strong arms around my waist and pulled me close. I always thought myself as being rather tall, but I felt like a midget compared to Neji's towering figure. I barely reached his chin, so I fit perfectly in his arms.

It felt so _right_.

He lifted me slightly off the ground and buried his head in my neck. His hot breath was fanning against my skin.

I closed my eyes and sighed contently. Our hearts were beating against our chests in sync. I felt a myriad of emotions while being in Neji's embrace; all of them too overwhelming to describe. I felt... safe and secure in Neji's arms.

I never wanted this moment to end.

"Let's just put that whole situation behind us and move on." Neji whispered against my neck. I nodded my head against his shoulder.

"I agree! No matter what happens, we'll always be just friends until the day we die," I sighed, smiling.

The smile on my face completely vanished when Neji stiffened and abruptly released me. I instantly missed his warmth.

"What did you just say?" His looked slightly paler under the moonlight than he was before.

**NORMAL P.O.V. (Friday: Past Midnight)**

"_Mmpphhh!_"

"Shhh!"

_Whimper._

_Chuckle._

Her pale eyes widened.

_Blink._

_Lick._

_Moan._

Naruto quickly clasped a hand over Hinata's mouth, trying to keep her quiet.

Shortly after they had entered their temporary bedroom, Naruto suddenly spun around and backed her up against the door, arms caging her in. Before she could even think, he slanted his mouth over hers, pushing his tongue inside.

It all happened so fast that she would have lost her footing if it weren't for the fact he had her pinned against his hard body and the door. Hinata nearly fainted because all the blood rushed to her face due to her new boyfriend's inability to keep his hands off of her. But after a while, she began to shyly respond.

She tried her best to stay quiet so they wouldn't wake their friend, but it was nearly impossible once Naruto's hands made his way up her shirt. His fingers were innocently stroking the soft flesh of her lower back, but it made her skin feel like it was on fire.

"Hinata-chan, you have to keep quiet or else you'll wake up the others," Naruto panted as he began to suck on her pulse. Hinata squealed at the sensation, but Naruto's managed to trap the sound behind his large hand.

Hinata began to squirm, her head spinning. She began to tug on his blonde locks because it was getting too intense, but this seemed to turn on Naruto even more. When he bit down on her neck, she jumped out of surprise and as a result, the lower half of her body jolted against his.

Suddenly, Naruto jerked away from her.

Hinata nearly fell when her support was ripped away from her. A blush seemed to be permanently etched on her cheeks. Slowly, her eyes opened to gaze in confusion at the blonde boy who now five feet away from her.

The seventeen-year-old was gasping for air and staring at her with a weird expression on his face.

Naruto looked away and bit his lower lip as he felt the back of his neck heat up in embarrassment. He knew he would have been blushing badly if it weren't for all his blood rushing to another part of his body. His hand made its way up as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

A certain appendage was _not_ happy with him at the moment, but he didn't want to rush anything in their relationship. He knew that if he didn't stop at that moment, he wouldn't have the will power to stop as things got more heated.

"Well!" he winced when he noticed how high-pitched his voice seemed. He cleared his throat none too smoothly. Naruto forced a smile onto his face, but it looked more like a grimace.

"I'm really, really tired! Yup, that practice today really wiped me out. Whew! I'm so sleepy. Good night!"

With that said, the blue-eyed boy bolted to the bed and threw himself under the covers.

Hinata had never felt so flustered and confused in her whole life. Shaking her head, she flicked off the light switch. The room was engulfed with darkness in an instant.

**NORMAL P.O.V. (Friday: Past Midnight)**

Tenten cutely cocked my head to the side and peered up at Neji. Confusion was written all over her face.

"I said that we'll always be just friends no matter what happens. Why? Is there something wrong?"

'_Just friends.._. _Just friends..._'

Those two horrible words kept repeating in Neji's head like a broken record. Would she never see his as more that a friend? Would she never return his feelings? He felt his heart plummet to his stomach as the feeling of rejection set in.

He scowled.

"No, nothing is wrong," Neji all but hissed out.

Tenten failed to notice the way Neji a muscle in his jaw jerked. He hid his clenched his fists deep within his pockets.

"Well, I'm extremely glad that we made up. I hate it when we fight. You're my friend, Neji-kun!" Tenten smiled brightly.

The air suddenly felt very cold for Neji. His whole body went numb. He had to resist the urge to clutch his chest because of the suddenly empty feeling. His scowl deepened.

"Friends. Right, just... friends," Neji whispered to himself.

A wave of sleepiness hit Tenten. She yawned and stretched her tired limbs.

"It's two in the morning. We really should go to sleep."

After muttered good nights, she slid the door shut and made her way to the bedroom.

Tenten knew that everything between her and Neji would be back to normal.

But what she didn't know was that there was a new found dent in the wall next to where Neji was standing.

_End of tenth chapter_

XXXXX

**Author's Note: **Hehehe… Yeah, I know. It's been two years. I apologize. I feel like crap I didn't update for so long. A lot has changed in my life and I bet a bunch of my readers are a lot older than I remember. I'm two years older now (18), about to go off to college, and still living in Micronesia (for the next two months that is). If you're still curious about what's up with me, read my profile. This week was the first time I logged into my account in a LONG time. The fanfiction site has changed a bit and I'm still learning how to use the new system. A loyal reader of mine, **ILoveSXS**, told me that while I was gone, my story was plagiarized.

Guys, please. Just… don't copy someone's work and claim it's your own. That's not cool.

Well, expect an update soon since I have nothing better to do. Love you guys!

God bless,

Teddy


	11. Bed Buddies

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

**DEDICATION: **THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO **Some Sort of Deity **FOR BEING MY **900th REVIEWER! **THANKS!

Special thanks to **Naruto-fan-Okami-chan** for being my beta reader! I really appreciate your help. Readers, thank her for the improvement in my writing!

...

**Chapter Eleven: Bed Buddies**

**SAKURA'S P.O.V.**

I groaned as I was pulled out of my slumber. I tried to shield my ears with my pillow, but it failed to drown out the ringing.

Whoever invented alarm clocks was an idiot.

"_Beep! Beep! Beep!"_

"Ugh!"

My fist slammed against the annoying device to turn it off. It read eight in the morning. Peaceful silence filled the room once again. I smiled and tried to return to sleep, but something felt strange. Slowly, I pried an eye open. Then both eyes shot open in surprise. I quickly pushed aside the covers and bolted upright.

I was no longer in my room at Hinata's beach house.

A gasp escaped me when I realized I was no longer wearing Sasuke's blue shirt, but another t-shirt that oddly smelled like him. Not that I memorize what his colonge smells like…

'_What's going on? Where am I? Where's Sasuke?' _

Fear gripped my chest as utter confusion set in.

I ran a hand through my pink tresses in distress. My eyes grew wider as I realized yet another strange thing. Even more panic filled me.

'_Why is my hair long?!'_

I always kept my hair short; it was always cut a couple inches above my shoulders. Now, my pink hair flowed down past my waist!

The sheets tangled around my legs and I tripped as I flew off the bed. Confused and freaked out, I decided to wander around to figure out where I was.

I took in my new surroundings. The bed I had gotten out of was huge and plush. The marble tiles were cool beneath my feet. My jaw dropped as I examined the lavish furnishing. My eyes flew up to gaze at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

After spinning in circles, I noticed a portrait of a little boy hung above the fire place. My eyes squinted as I looked at it more closely. The little, raven haired boy in the picture had a bright smile on his face and a sparkle in his green eyes. He looked awfully like Sasuke.

I read the small, golden plaque at the bottom of the picture. It was titled _'Uchiha Seiji.'_

'_Who's Seiji? Sasuke's younger brother? No, Sasuke was the youngest in his family... Perhaps this is his nephew I helped him babysit last year?'_

A large door entered the view of my peripheral vision. Finally. An exit to this freak show.

Hesitantly, I approached the bedroom door, pushed one side open, and walked out. Part of me hoped it would lead to a familiar area. Instead, it led out to a grand hallway. The ceiling towered high above my head. One side of the large hallway was lined with portraits and vases of flowers. The other side was lined with large glass windows, showing the exquisite view of a forest down below.

I had no time to admire the scenery. My freak out level was reaching new heights.

'_Was I kidnapped? What if I'm being held hostage! Did I sleep walk and end up in someone's house? Where am I?' _

"Mommy!"

'_MOMMY?!'_

I nearly tripped again as I swiveled towards the cheerful voice. My eyes widened. It was the little boy from the portrait!

He giggled as he pumped his toddler legs as fast as he could. He wore He wore (refer to large rant about tenses) footy pajamas with the Uchiha crest printed all over it. As he came closer, I guessed he was approximately three years old or so.

'_He looks like a photocopy of Sasuke.'_

As soon as he reached me, the little boy wrapped his pudgy arms around my legs. I didn't know whether to scream in terror or squeal at how utterly adorable he looked.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, okaa-san!" he greeted in his cute, high-pitched voice. The young boy let go of my legs and bowed slightly before straightening. "Where's otou-san?"

"I-I don't know," I stammered, breaking out in a nervous sweat as my heart beat a thousand miles per hour. The little boy did not seem to find anything amiss and continued to smile up at me.

'_This boy is my son!? I have a son? Why did no one tell me!? My parents are going to _kill_ me!'_

Suddenly, two arms shot out from behind me and wrapped themselves around my waist. I yelped as I was yanked backwards into someone's broad chest. My heart hammered wildly in my chest, thinking it was my kidnapper.

I looked down to examine the arms that were trapping me. The person that was holding me was wearing a wedding ring...

...and so was I.

My jaw dropped as the urge to faint hit me. I was too disoriented to try to escape from the person's hold. My head was spinning like crazy.

'_I'M MARRIED!'_

"Seiji, the maid has already prepared your breakfast. Go and eat before it gets cold," a _very_ familiar voice ordered.

I froze. I knew _exactly_ who that voice belonged to.

I turned around to see none other than...

Uchiha Sasuke.

**-0-0-0-0-0-**

"AAAAHHHH!"

My eyes shot wide open, my lips still parted from screaming. Perspiration coated my large forehead and neck. I groaned, clutching my aching head.

It was all a dream? It seemed so real! I couldn't believe I just had a dream about being married to Sasuke and having his kid! I guess all my fantasizing about being with him had gotten to my head.

I sighed and relaxed into my current position: on my stomach with my head facing the window. It was still dark outside, so I decided it would be best to sleep and try to forget about the dream. Depression hit me whenever I recalled the dream. It was like my subconscious was torturing me with what I'll never have—that I'd only be with him in my dream.

I sighed tiredly and closed my eyes again. I snuggled deeper into my breathing pillo—

'_Wait... Breathing?' _

I slowly and hesitantly turned my head to see what I was sleeping on. The sight before me caused my eyes to bulge out of their sockets. I choked on my spit. My hand quickly clasped over my mouth to prevent the loud scream threatening to erupt from my throat.

I was sleeping on top of Sasuke!

My gaze lowered to his bare chest. I blushed a bright red.

Correction: I was sleeping on top of a _shirtless_ Sasuke!

Our legs were intertwined, and his arms were slung securely around my waist crossing over my lower back.

'_Please say this is another dream… Please say this is another dream…"_

I stopped my mental freak out when I caught sight of his face. My eyes softened and my lips curved into a tiny smile. He was so _cute _when he was sleeping.

A chuckle escaped me when I imagined how Sasuke would react to being called "cute."

Sasuke's eyes were closed shut, hiding his piercing onyx gems. I could feel his chest steadily rising and falling under my body. He looked so adorable with his raven locks tousled. His stoic "bad boy, I don't give a damn" facade was completely gone and replaced by an angelic-childlike appearance. His guard was completely down.

I think I just fell for him even harder.

My fingertips ran against the flawless, pale skin of his cheek. I was shocked at how smooth his skin felt.

Depression hit me once again. The reality of the situation was that Sasuke would never hold me like this if he was awake. I'd always be the social outcast and he'd always be that boy who would never look in my direction.

I retracted my hand, feeling heartsick. I wanted to distance myself from him, physically and emotionally.

Sleeping Sasuke obvious had other ideas, because when I tried to push myself off of him, he didn't let go. Sasuke was seriously _strong_! This was ridiculous! He wouldn't let go! Unable to break free, I fell back onto his bare chest, defeated.

Sasuke spends years successfully pushing me away from him and the one time I try to push him away, he won't budge. I smiled grimly at the irony of the situation.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when Sasuke muttered something in his sleep and turned on his side, bringing me with him. I squealed. He pulled me closer and turned his head a bit so that he was nuzzling my neck. His jet black bangs tickled me.

'_Aaahhhh! This is so embarrassing! What if he wakes up and sees us like this? Sasuke, please let go of me!'_

My heart thundered in my chest. I was pretty sure I was about to have a panic attack. I started to flail in his grip, pushing and squirming with all my might. But it was useless. He just wouldn't let go!

'_Damn, he's a heavy sleeper...'_

My hands laid flat against Sasuke's shoulders as I pushed yet again, trying to break free.

"No," Sasuke whined like a child against my neck in his sleep. He scowled deeply and tightened his vice grip on my waist.

I paused. _'Sasuke _whines_? Since when?'_

For the umpteenth time that night, I was pulled into another state of shock when Sasuke twisted his body and rolled on top of me. Now I laid helpless underneath him, my arms pressed into his bare chest.

No, correction: A _shirtless_ Sasuke was on top of me!

My blush seemed to be permanently etched into my cheeks. Though I didn't know whether I was turning red from embarrassment or lack of oxygen. It was extremely hard to breathe with Sasuke crushing my body with his weight. He was **heavy**! He seriously weighed _a lot _more than he looks.

Shifting into a more comfortable position where I didn't feel crushed, I sighed tiredly. This was ridiculous and emotionally draining. I scowled deeply, annoyed. Part of me wanted to savor his closeness, but a larger part of me was annoyed. I was tempted to smack him much like how I hit Naturo when he got on my nerves.

I knew trying to escape was completely useless. Sasuke was way too heavy and his grip was too tight.

'_Oh well, at least he didn't wake up. That would've been really awkward.'_

I closed my eyes and quickly fell asleep. The sound of Sasuke's steady breathing was my lullaby.

**TENTEN'S P.O.V. (Saturday: Morning)**

Neji and I were sitting at the kitchen's island, eating breakfast. We had just come from a morning run. The beach looked amazing in the morning and the serenity of the scenery helped ease the tension between Neji and I. He had been acting strange all morning. He was quieter than normal and seemed tense.

My brow furrowed as I wondered what was eating at him. We had already made up last night, so a new issue must have come up.

"Neji-kun, is something bothering you?"

He shook his head.

"Are you mad at me?"

"No, Tenten. I'm just a little tired," he responded, not looking up from his breakfast.

My mouth curved into a small frown. I knew he was lying to me, but I decided to drop the subject. I sensed that he didn't want to tell me what was bothering him.

Suddenly, I heard a girly scream from the top of the stairs. I knew it had to be Ino.

"You're such a jerk!"

"Stop yelling, you troublesome girl," Shikamaru groaned.

Seconds later, Ino stomped down the stairs with a slightly pissed off and tired looking Shikamaru trailing behind her at a calmer pace. They came into the kitchen to continue their argument.

"I can't believe you purposely broke my cellphone!" Ino yelled.

"Fine, I'll buy you a new cellphone. Are you done screaming at me?" grumbled Shikamaru as he massaged his temples.

"I haven't even started!" she replied. Shikamaru groaned yet again and ran a hand through his pineapple-shaped hair style.

"What happened?" I asked, totally lost. Neji also raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow in question.

"Last night, Sai called me on my cell phone. Then out of nowhere this lazy jerk," Ino paused to glare at Shikamaru, "took my cell away from me and smashed it!"

"You and your big mouth were keeping me awake last night. I just wanted you to shut up," he complained.

"You didn't need to break my cell! I was just talking to Sai. I wasn't even that loud!"

I noticed the way Shikamaru's eyes narrowed at the mention of Sai's name.

'_Interesting…'_

"Why would you even need to call him at two in the morning? You were just being annoying." Shikamaru continued to look impassive, but there was a slight tenseness to his normally relaxed stance.

"Oh, shut up. I hope you're happy now. You ruined my chances of him ever asking me out," Ino whined.

"_What?_" hissed Shikamaru as he glared darkly at Ino. His uncaring, lazy demeanor went out the window after what Ino admitted. "You were planning on _going out_ with _him_?"

I shifted my eyes between the fighting pair.

'_Wait... Ino doesn't even like Sai. She hates Sai's guts. That must mean... Holy crap! She was trying to get Shikamaru jealous!'_

I studied Shikamaru. He looked absolutely livid.

'_And it looks like her plan in working.'_

Shikamaru stood with his hands shoved into his pockets, glaring at Ino with his shoulders tense as if he was waiting to strike out at something. Ino seemed to notice the dark, murderous aura that surrounded him.

"Shikamaru, relax. I was just joking. I don't even like Sai!" Ino giggled, tucking her hair behind her ear nervously. I guess she felt bad for upsetting him unnecessarily.

Shikamaru grunted a reply and began to look for something to eat. He no longer looked murderous, but he was definitely still annoyed and a bit ticked off.

"Ohayo gozaimasu," a tiny voice squeaked. We all turned to see Hinata standing in the doorway. I smiled. Her stuttering had become less frequent after she began dating Naruto.

Neji finished his breakfast and placed his dishes in the sink. As he passed Hinata, she bowed and he returned the gesture before leaving the room.

"Hey Hinata! C'mon, let's eat breakfa—is that a _hickey_ on your neck?!" Ino screeched.

My jaw fell slack when my eyes landed on the love bite located on Hinata's neck. Hinata's hand flew up to her neck, trying to hide the evidence Naruto's mouth had left on her.

An awkward silence filled the room as we all stared wide-eyed at the blushing girl.

"Hey guys! What's for breakfast?" Naruto greeted as he appeared in the doorway. Then he paused and quirked an eyebrow. "Uh... Why are you guys staring at me like that?" he inquired, looking creeped out.

"Yo-You… H-H-Hinata…HICKEY! I can't believe you guys made out!" Ino screeched, pointing an accusing finger at Naruto. She looked like she was about to pass out from shock.

Naruto and Hinata turned bright red at Ino's accusation, but neither of them were denying it. My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. We all couldn't comprehend the fact that sweet, innocent Hinata was fooling around with Naruto last night.

"So..." Naruto started, trying to change the subject, "What are the plans for today?"

"We have a house to ourselves and no super vision for a whole weekend. Why don't we throw a party tonight?" Ino suggested, "We could invite some of our friends from school."

I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Ino to devise a plan that would give her an excuse to dress up and boost her social status.

"Is that alright with you, Hinata?" I asked.

Hinata seemed a bit hesitant, but gave in after some coaxing from Ino.

"Alright, it's settled! We're having a party tonight! I'm going start inviting people," Ino said. She grabbed my cellphone from the counter and started to text people right away.

"I'm going to go wake up Sakura and emo-boy. We're going to need their help to get the party ready," said Naruto. He quickly pecked Hinata's cheek before excusing himself.

**SAKURA'S P.O.V. (Saturday: Morning)**

The first thing I noticed when I woke up was that I felt oddly warm and comfortable. I snuggled deeper into the covers, not wanting to wake up. I felt something shift on top of me and my eyes opened groggily. The first thing my eyes focused on was a pair of widened onyx eyes staring down at me.

Sasuke was still lying on top of me, but one detail was different from last night. He was wide awake. Only one word ran repeatedly through my mind.

Shit.

Sasuke stared down at me with a look of complete disbelief on his face. He appeared to be too shocked to move. My mouth opened to try to explain how we got into this position, but my mind was frustratingly blank. All I could do was stare at him like a complete idiot.

Suddenly, the door swung wide open. Our heads snapped in the direction of the sound. Naruto stood in the doorway, a wide smile stretched across his face.

"Rise and shine! Time to part—" Naruto's words died in his throat when he caught sight of our compromising position. His eyes bulged out of their sockets and his jaw dropped. I would have laughed at his hilarious expression if I wasn't so mortified.

The room was filled with an awkward silence. Then, Naruto opened his mouth to scream.

**TENTEN'S P.O.V. (Saturday: Morning)**

I half-listened to the conversation between Ino, Shikamaru, and Hinata as I ate my breakfast. Well, it was more like Ino was doing all the talking while Hinata listened politely and Shikamaru tuned her out. I decided to copy the seventeen-year-old Nara and tune her out as well. My thoughts wandered to the peculiar events of this morning.

'_What an interesting morning. First, Ino made Shikamaru jealous. Then, we learn Naruto gave Hinata a hickey. What next? We're gonna find out Sasuke slept with Sakura last night?'_

I snickered at my thoughts. As if that will ever happen...

Then, a loud scream came from Sasuke and Sakura's room. It was Naruto. No one else in the world could yell that loudly.

"TEME IS BANGING SAKURA! MY POOR, VIRGIN EYES ARE BURNING!"

My jaw dropped. I think I spoke too soon.

_End of eleventh chapter_

XXXXX

**Author's Note: **Signed up for my college classes and turned in my roommate request. Hopefully, she'll be an anime fan too. Please review!

God bless,

Teddy


	12. Ultimate Temptation

**DEDICATION: **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO **ShadowDarknessCherryBlossom** for being my **1,000 REVIEWER!**

**WARNING: HEAVY T-RATING DUE TO UNDERAGE DRINKING AND A VERY DESCRIPTIVE SCENE. **

**Special thanks **to **Naruto-fan-Okami-Chan** for proof-reading this chapter! She is amazing!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

...

**Chapter Twelve: Ultimate Temptation**

**SAKURA'S P.O.V (Saturday: Morning)**

"Did i-it hurt? You know... Since it was your f-first time..."

"Did he make a romantic confession befo—Wait... Was it just a one night thing?! Please don't tell me that you guys are doing that _'friends with benefits' _crap!"

"Forehead, speak up! We want_all_ the juicy details. I can't believe you screwed Sasuke!"

"FOR THE HUNDREDTH TIME, WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! I DIDN'T '_SCREW_' SASUKE! WILL ALL OF YOU JUST SHUT UP!" I screamed, repeatedly banging my head against the dining table.

I was going kill Naruto once I got my hands on him! Right after Naruto screamed, the others ran into the bedroom and caught Sasuke and me…

I blushed even harder. It didn't help when I recalled how Hinata promptly fainted while the rest of them just stood there gawking like idiots. Most of what happened afterwards was a blur. I remembered sputtering out a lame, "I-It's n-not what it l-looks like!" which no one believed. Our idiotic friends jumped to conclusions too quickly. My friends had been grilling me for hours for details about my '_night of passion with the one and only Uchiha Sasuke_' as Ino liked to call it.

I rolled my eyes.

"Stop lying! You were wearing his t-shirt! Plus, he was on top of you!" shrieked Ino, looking up from her phone. She had been texting people nonstop to inform them about the party.

"Ugh, I can't take this anymore!" I groaned. I threw my hands up in exasperation and stomped to the bedroom I was sharing with Sasuke. Once inside, I pulled out my calculus text book, calculator, pencils, and a notebook from my bag. It was quite a challenge to balance the items in my arms without dropping anything or falling. Then, I marched out of the back door and slid the sliding door shut.

Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Neji were sitting at the picnic table on the back porch. None of them seemed to notice I was there. I stood there awkwardly, not knowing whether I should interrupt.

A heated discussion appeared to be happening between the four of them. From the way Sasuke looked like he wanted to strangle all of them, I guessed that they were also interrogating him about last night. I decided I would save him from the annoying torture his friends were inflicting on him. Taking in a deep breath, I approached their table.

"So let me get this straight... You didn't tell Sakura that yo—" Naruto quickly slapped his hand over Shikamaru's mouth when he saw me coming toward them.

"Hi Sakura! We didn't see you there!"

Naruto laughed nervously while slowly taking his hand off of Shikamaru's mouth. The blonde scratched the back of his head. When the boys heard Naruto greet me, they tensed in their seats and whipped their heads towards me.

"How long have you been standing there?" questioned Sasuke. Though the question was directed to me, he refused to look at me. Instead, he was glaring at his friends.

"Not long. I just thought that I should tutor Sasuke before the party starts. We have a test coming up." I held up my calculus book and smiled nervously. The way they were all staring at me made me fidget. Talk about awkward.

"Sure, we'll just leave you two alone. We have to help set up for the party anyways," Naruto stated, jumping out of his seat. The three of them stood up from the picnic table and went inside the beach house. Before leaving, Naruto leaned over and whispered something in Sasuke's ear. Sasuke obviously was annoyed by the blonde's words because he smacked him upside the head before ordering him to leave.

"Finally, I was seriously contemplating killing them. My friends are a pain." Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. I chuckled slightly and nodded in agreement.

"Tell me about it," I sighed, dumping the contents of my arms onto the table. The seventeen-year-old Uchiha smirked and poked my forehead. I blushed slightly at the contact, my heart rate picking up.

Sasuke lowered his hands to pick up my calculus book and flipped through the pages.

"Why did you bring your text book here? I thought this whole weekend was dedicated to relaxing."

"We have calculus homework," I said, biting my nails. He scoffed at my explanation, probably thinking I was the biggest nerd in all of Japan. I swear if he wasn't so hot, I probably would have smacked him. I continued, "I didn't know you'd be here, but we might as well squeeze in a tutoring session before the party."

"Hn."

Clearing my throat, I yanked the book out of Sasuke's hands and placed it on the table. I turned the pages to the chapter we had been working on for the past week.

"Okay, let's get started."

**-0-0-0-0-**

"The process of finding the derivative is called differentiation. Given a function and a point in the domain, the derivative at that point is a way of encoding the small-scale behavior of the functio—are you even listening to me?"

Silence.

"Sasuke?"

"Hn?"

I sighed, rubbing my temples in frustration. Shutting the book closed, I said, "That's enough for today. We'll pick this up another time." That was the fifth time in the last hour that I had caught Sasuke not paying any attention to the lesson. It was highly frustrating.

'_Remind me why I'm in love with__him again?'_

My gaze lifted off the calculus book to meet his gaze. Our eyes locked and I felt like I was drowning in the depths of his onyx orbs. A muscle jerked in his jaw, which I oddly found attractive, before he tore his gaze away from mine. I felt my blood pressure skyrocket.

'_Oh yeah, _that's_ why.'_

I started putting my stuff together when I heard Naruto yell from inside, "TEME! Are you done yet? Let's go get some drinks for the party."

"Go get it yourself, dobe," Sasuke responded, irritated. Naruto popped his head out of the sliding door, a pout on his face.

"I _would_, but Shikamaru won't let me drive his car and I can't ask Neji because I'm not exactly his favorite person right now. C'mon, let's _gooooo_!"

It was obvious Naruto wouldn't stop whining until he got what he wanted, so Sasuke replied, "Fine. We'll leave in five minutes."

The hyperactive blonde let out a whoop and disappeared into the house. I shook my head at his silly antics. He was too optimistic and happy for his own good. I really didn't know how Hinata could keep up with him.

"Idiot better not get plastered tonight like last time," Sasuke mumbled, running a hand through his raven hair. He met my gaze and walked to my side of the table. "Sakura, you better not even _think _about touching any alcohol tonight."

I quirked an eye brow. "You have nothing to worry about. After what happened to Minori, I will never touch the stuff."

"What happened to Minori?" asked the seventeen-year-old basketball captain, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"She got drunk and she ended up sleeping with Shou," I answered bluntly. Blushing, I confessed, "Call me old fashioned, but I've always wanted my first time to be… _special_."

I blushed heavily. I was mentally slapping myself for being so stupid, stupid, _stupid_! Why can't I learn to shut up? But deep inside, I felt comfortable because I knew Sasuke wouldn't judge me. Yes, it was embarrassing to discuss something so personal, but I could be open with him.

"Special?" Sasuke urged me to explain. He continued to stare at me with his piercing eyes. I winced, wanting to run away and hide.

"Well, my ideal situation doesn't exactly involve being intoxicated and not remembering anything," I muttered. The pendant on his necklace was crooked, so I impulsively reached up and tugged on it to distract myself.

"I want it to be with someone I love." I hesitated before looking up at him. Imagine my surprise when I realized my actions of pulling on his necklace forced him to take a step closer to me. His body was a mere inch from mine. He didn't seem to mind though. He just stood there, staring down at me with a blank expression on his face, but his eyes were intense. It was as if he was looking right into my soul.

"Sorry," I managed to mumble before letting go of his necklace and taking a large step back. Being in close proximity to Sasuke makes my tongue sluggish and my thoughts all fuzzy. I turned my head to the side, avoiding Sasuke's gaze.

My eyes met the large expanse of sparkling, blue water. The sun shone brightly in the clear, baby blue sky. I was itching to walk barefoot in the soft, white sand. I could see the edge of the wooden dock in my peripheral vision. It was a private beach, so we were the only ones here.

The sound of the waves crashing against the shore was extremely relaxing. It calmed my nerves and I felt a smile tug on my mouth.

**SASUKE'S P.O.V.**

I continued to stare at Sakura. She had a breath-taking smile on her face while studying the landscape. There was a slight twinkle in her green eyes. It was a windy day. The breeze caused her pink tresses to flutter around her face, making her look so...

I bit down on the inside of my mouth. Hard.

"It's so beautiful," Sakura whispered. Her eyes were fixated on the scene in front of her.

"Yeah, you are."

My eyes widened. Her head whipped around as her jaw dropped.

Oh. Fu—

"TEME! Hurry up! Let's go, let's go, let's **go**!"

I swallowed, feeling numb. "I'm coming," I called out, my throat feeling like it was closing. Without another word, I grabbed all of Sakura's stuff off of the table and carried it into the house.

My footsteps halted as soon as I reached the sliding door. Peering over my shoulder, I saw that the object of my affections remained froze in place. I sighed deeply and shook my head, forcing myself to enter the house. A little voice in the back of my mind kept pestering me to tell Sakura the truth:

_'When describing you, "beautiful" is an understatement.'_

**TENTEN'S P.O.V. (Saturday: Night)**

The party was absolutely crazy! Music blared from the speakers and teenagers crowded together on the make shift dance floor in the living room. More than half of the school—which consisted of two hundred students—had shown up before the sun had set! Curse Ino for her fast texting skills.

Well, at least we didn't have to worry about any neighbors reporting the party to the police because the nearest house was miles away.

I scanned the house to see who showed up. Kiba and Sai were flirting with a bunch of cheerleaders. Chouji and his—surprisingly very skinny and pretty—girlfriend had taken up permanent residence at the snack table. Most of the players from the soccer and basketball teams were getting wasted and having drinking competitions. Shino was behind the DJ booth. The rest of the students were dancing with a red plastic cups in their hands.

Naruto and Hinata had left the party early to take a walk on the beach. Hinata started to get a headache from the loud music so Naruto, being the sweetheart he is, decided that they'd have their own little date while the party was going on.

Getting up from my seat on the couch, I began walking towards the staircase. Hopefully Neji was upstairs because I couldn't seem to find him all night. When I reached the base of the stairs I looked up to see Shikamaru and Ino sitting on the stairs, isolated from everyone else.

Shikamaru had been acting disgustingly overprotective all night. He wouldn't even let Ino go within ten feet of Sai! Though, I had to admit that it was cute how he was finally showing that he cared.

I had to stop myself from squealing when I saw that Ino was sleeping soundly in Shikamaru's arms. She was probably worn out by dancing too much.

'_Aww! They look so cute toget—DID SHIKAMARU JUST __KISS__ INO'S FOREHEAD?! I knew he had a thing for her!'_

I quickly took my phone out of my pocket and selected the camera application. The picture was a little blurry because of the lighting. Three words came to mind.

Best. Blackmail. Ever.

**SASUKE'S P.O.V. (Saturday: Night)**

"Sasuke!"

"…"

"Sasuke! Sasuke! SA-SUKE!"

I refused to acknowledge her. Sakura pouted cutely and tugged on my black shirt.

"Fine, ignore me. You're so mean." She stuck out her tongue.

"Hn."

Tonight, I learned a very valuable lesson: never ever let Sakura near any alcohol. _Ever._

The sixteen-year-old Haruno had mistaken one of the drinks they were passing out in the kitchen for soda. It was mixed with juice, so she must have not tasted the alcohol. By the time I realized that she was drinking the liquor, it was already too late. Sakura was such a light weight. She barely drank a cup and she was already wasted.

I was annoyed and mad at her, but what's done is done. It wasn't really her fault. I had warned her not to drink, but she wasn't aware she had broken her promise.

Sakura was out of control when she was drunk. She tried to steal Chouji's bag of chips, attempted to take off Shino's sunglasses, and laughed at anything and everything. Then, she petted Kiba and tried to feed him cat food while calling out, 'Here kitty, kitty!'

Sakura would run up—while stumbling all over the place—to random people and hug them. I kept a watchful eye on her and allowed her to roam around within a safe distance from me. I wasn't planning on stepping in, but I lost my cool when she tried to glomp onto Shou.

Before I knew what I was doing, I stormed over to where they were standing and yanked her out of his arms. There was no way I was letting **him** within twenty feet of Sakura after the incident in our physics class.

"Sasuke, don't be mean!" she yelled, slamming her tiny fists on my back as I dragged her away, "Wait your turn for your hug!"

**-0-0-0-0-0-**

An hour had passed and instead of calming down, Sakura had gotten even more hyper. After her last drunken stunt, I got fed up with chasing after her. I threw her over my shoulder and sat down on the recliner with her in my arms. At first, she resisted. Then she got tired of struggling and rested against me.

That was when I discovered that Sakura was very... _clingy_ when she was drunk.

She had turned around on my lap and wrapped her arms around me, snuggling against me. Sakura babbled about random things, but I wasn't listening. All I could focus on was how her legs were straddling my waist.

And I felt fifteen types of wrong at the fact that I was enjoying Sakura's out-of-character clinginess. I felt my face grow hotter with every wrong thought that passed through my mind.

"Sasuke, I want more soda!" Sakura whined against my neck, nuzzling it. My fingers dug into the arms of the recliner in an attempt to control myself.

"No."

"You're such a party pooper, Sasuke," the drunken pink-haired girl complained as she pouted against the flesh of my neck.

"Hn."

I shifted Sakura into a more comfortable position on my lap. I tried to ignore the fact that I had Sakura's extremely soft and very warm body pressed against mine. Then, Sakura did the unthinkable.

She started **squirming** in my lap.

'_Oh god... Oh god... Oh god...'_

"Let me go! I want more juice!" As she tried to get out of my grasp, she shifted into a position where I was... not so comfortable.

Heat crept up the back of my neck. I quickly clasped my hands onto her hips to stop her movements.

"Sakura. Stop," I hissed out, barely stifling a moan that was threatening to escape from my throat.

I noticed that some of the teenagers in the room were staring at Sakura and I with unabashed interest. Most of them were girls I had turned down earlier that night. The last thing I needed was a rumor spreading around about the two of us.

"Let's go. You've had enough to drink tonight. You should sleep it off." I stood up from the recliner with Sakura's legs still wrapped around my middle. Her arms looped around my neck as I carried her like a toddler.

It took a while to make our way through the hordes of inebriated teens. My level of annoyance grew to new heights when Sakura started giggling like a maniac for no apparent reason. I was tempted to throw her in the nearest room and lock her away for the rest of the night so I wouldn't have to deal with her.

I decided to take Sakura upstairs to Naruto and Hinata's room because earlier Gaara asked if he could useSakura and my room for a while because he needed to talk Matsuri.

As I was making my way up the staircase, I came across a tired looking Shikamaru holding a sleeping Ino in his arms.

"What's wrong with her?" Shikamaru asked, gesturing to Sakura who was belting out _Kira Kira Boshi_ at the top of her lungs.

"She got drunk," I answered, "What about Ino?"

Shikamaru looked down with something akin to tenderness at the girl in his arms. "She's just sleepy from partying too much. Troublesome girl didn't get much sleep last night either. I'm shocked that someone as hyper and loud as Ino even has the ability to get tired."

"Why don't you take her to your room?"

"It's too troublesome to move her."

"Hn." I smirked, seeing straight through his lie.

"Shut up."

Shikamaru scooted to the side and allowed us to make our way up the stairs. The hallway was completely deserted. Shikamaru must have made sure no one would trash the place upstairs. I easily made my way down the dark hallway with the intoxicated girl in my arms. She had quieted down and I thought she had passed out.

Then, I felt something warm and wet trail up the back of my neck.

I let out a sharp breath. Every nerve in my body jumped

"Sakura?" I choked out.

"Yeah?"

"Are you... licking my neck?"

She simply nodded her head as she continued her administrations on my neck.

'_Oh god. Oh god. Oh god.'_

I lost it.

**NORMAL P.O.V.**

Sakura barely had time to react when Sasuke somehow maneuvered her body in front of him and pinned her against the wall.

"S-S-Sasuke?" Sakura sputtered in her intoxicated state, "Wha—"

Sasuke cut off the rest of her sentence by crushing her lips with his. His mouth slanted against hers continuously. He was aggressive, assaulting Sakura with years' worth of unvented sexual frustration.

Sakura's eyes widened when she felt Sasuke's tongue trace her lower lip in a silent plea. Responding with reckless abandonment—like all drunk people usually do—Sakura opened her mouth and granted the young Uchiha entrance.

As soon as his tongue slid into her mouth, electricity shot up their spines. Sasuke was surprised he didn't jump back from the intensity of it all. His lips continued to move furiously against hers.

Sakura let out a loud moan when Sasuke's seemingly skilled tongue explored her mouth. It was like music to his ears. The sixteen-year-old nerd wrapped her arms around the class jock's neck. Her hands ran through his raven locks, tugging on it. Sasuke bit back a groan.

His hands placed themselves on her hips. After a while, they slid back to rest on her lower back. Sakura nearly cried out when she felt his soft fingertips trail across her bare back while tugging the hem of her shirt upwards.

Sasuke noticed that she was desperately tugging on his shirt so he pulled back a bit and took it off. Her jaw dropped as she took in his muscular body with hungry eyes. But then her vision was instantly blurred when Sasuke slipped her glasses off and placed him in his back pocket.

He barely gave Sakura time to catch her breath before he dove back into the kiss. He groaned at the feeling of Sakura's hands tracing his abdominal packs. The feeling of her hands on his bare skin was amazing. He bent down slightly and hoisted her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist.

He crushed her harder against the wall.

Heat exploded in him stomach. Her kisses made him feel really high. His mind was muddled and he could barely think straight. Sakura was in the exact same state.

Sasuke managed to pull away from the wall, grope blindly for a door knob, and stumble inside the bedroom without breaking the kiss.

The young Uchiha heir pulled away to catch his breath as he gently laid Sakura on the large bed and resumed his position on top of her. His knees were on either side of her as he tried to make sure he didn't crush her with his weight. He coaxed her tongue out to play with his once more. Wanting to give her a chance to catch her breath, he moved down to her neck, sucking on her pulse.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura moaned, throwing her head back.

Sasuke's breath caught in his throat when he heard the suffix. He froze. Everything seemed to stop. Itching to hear it again, he sucked and nipped even harder.

His fingers reached down and started to unbutton her pants. Wanting his mouth on hers again, she tugged on his necklace to bring his head up. The action caused him to freeze once again. Without warning, his mind conjured up a memory from earlier that day.

_'Call me old fashioned, but I've always wanted my first time to be… special._ _My ideal situation doesn't exactly involve being intoxicated and not remembering anything._ _I want it to be with someone I love.'_

**SASUKE'S P.O.V.**

I cursed every explicative known as I lowered my head in frustration and shame. She was drunk! Sakura had no idea what she was doing and wouldn't even remember any of this in the morning.

My chest hurt from the way I was gasping for air. I felt like I was hyperventilating.

"Sasuke-kun? What's wrong?" the intoxicated Sakura asked, looking up from her position under me.

I felt my control slipping when I looked at her. Her lips were bruised from our forceful make out session. Her shirt was falling off of her shoulder and I bit the inside of my cheek to stop myself from ripping it off.

Then I realized I had the lingering taste of alcohol in my mouth that was transferred from hers. Her eyes had a glazed over look and were unfocused. She was totally unaware of her surroundings.

My mind screamed, _'This is your one chance! She'd never kiss you back if she was in her right mind. Besides, she won't remember anything.'_

I fisted the sheets in my hands, never feeling so torn in my life. An internal war was raging in my mind. Part of me wanted to desperately take her already, but a larger part of me knew it was wrong. I would be betraying Sakura's trust and respect.

I knew what I had to do.

It took a while, but I managed to reign in my hormones and remove myself from her.

"Nothing is wrong. Go to sleep," I gritted out as I got off of her. It took every ounce of self-control I possessed to not climb back on top of her and finished what I had started.

If I wasn't so pissed at myself, I would have laughed at how quickly Sakura passed out after my command. I threw a blanket over her and forced myself to leave the room.

I walked out the sliding door and onto the balcony. My heart was constricting so much that it hurt. Something in the pit of my stomach boiled. It boiled and twisted inside, making me want to hit myself.

As I rested my elbows against the railing, I bowed my head and gripped my hair in my hands. I felt disgusted with myself.

Sakura was drunk...

And I took advantage of her.

_End of twelfth chapter_

XXXXX

**Author's Note:** Everyone give a big thank you to my new beta: Naruto-fan-Okami-chan! My college is requiring me to take two English-learning classes begin university in America next month, so hopefully it improves and I'll be able to revise on my own. This chapter was extremely hard to re-write because I wanted to keep the original concept of what happened, but completely change the details of the events. It was originally entitled "The Promise", but I threw out the promise ring idea. Not much re-writing for the next chapter, so it'll come out as soon as I can go over it.

And if anyone has any funny "first day of school" stories, leave them in your review! Maybe it'll inspire me!

God bless and take care,

Teddy


	13. Because I Felt Like It

**DEDICATION: **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** .Didi **FOR BEINGMY** 1,100th REVIEWER!**

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Huge thank you to **Naruto-fan-Okami-chan **for being my beta! She has been sooooooo awesome and I really appreciate that she takes time out of her hectic college life to help me out. She has made my life ten times easier and made my story a thousand times better!

...

**Chapter Thirteen: Because I Felt Like It**

**TENTEN'S P.O.V. (Saturday: Night)**

My hands tugged awkwardly on the top and skirt Ino had forced me to wear. I had successfully wiped off most of the make-up she had caked on my face, but I decided to keep the lip gloss on to appease Ino.

"Juko, have you seen Neji-kun?!" I asked my soccer teammate, screaming over the loud music.

"I think I saw him go outside through the back door a few minutes ago!" the brunette, sixteen-year-old bellowed.

"Arigato!" I thanked Juko, patting him on the arm. I pushed my way through the large mass of intoxicated, dancing students. It took quite a while to reach the back porch. Once outside, I leaned over the railing to see if I could spot Neji. It was hard to see in the dim lighting. After a few moments, I spotted the Hyuuga's tall, masculine figure standing on the wooden pier.

Neji had been avoiding me all day and it was starting to really annoy me. I had been talking to him earlier, but then he suddenly ditched me. I was determined to figure out what his problem was.

Without wasting any time, I climbed down the flight of stairs and crossed the sandy shore. I treaded lightly on the rail-less pier, careful to not alert Neji of my presence. The seventeen-year-old brunette stood at the edge of the pier, staring out at the horizon. From where I was standing, I could see that his body language was totally off. His arms were crossed over his chest and his stance was tense.

I winced when one of the wooden boards beneath my shoes squeaked. Neji quickly whipped around to face me. His eyes widened momentarily before his shocked expression was quickly masked behind his stoic facade.

"Umm... H-Hey Neji-kun!" I greeted nervously, hesitantly closing the distance between us to stand right in front of him. Usually I was completely comfortable around Neji, but something about his aura at the moment was extremely intimidating. "How come you aren't inside enjoying the party with everyone else?" I queried, jerking my thumb in the direction of the beach house.

"Too loud," he briefly answered. I nodded stupidly, clicking my tongue on the roof of my month.

An awkward silence fell between us for a couple of minutes, which was completely out of the ordinary! Yes, my best friend wasn't the most talkative person in the world, but when we're alone he tended to be more open and social. Now, he avoided me like the plague. For the whole day he seemed to be keeping his distance more than usual.

"Neji, I—" My mouth clamped shut when I placed my hand on his shoulder only to have him stiffen and instantly jerk away from my touch as if it burned him. My eyes flashed with hurt as I slowly withdrew my hand. I bit my lip in nervousness before taking a deep breath.

"Neji-kun… Are you mad at me?"

"No."

"Did I somehow offend you?"

"No."

"Is something bothering you?"

Silence.

'_Ding, ding! We have a winner!'_

"What's bothering you?" I asked, concern overwhelming my being.

"It's nothing," he grumbled, looking away.

"Don't lie to me! You've been acting very strange lately. What's wrong?"

"Hn." The young Hyuuga returned his gaze to me, his eyes unreadable.

"Neji-kun, please tell me what's bothering you so I can help."

"Drop it. It doesn't concern you."

"Yes, it _does _ concern me! Whatever is bothering you is starting to affect our friendship. You've been acting really distant lately and you're constantly avoiding me. Just tell me what's bothering you!"

"I'm not going to tell you, Tenten. Just forget about it."

"You _can't _ tell me or you _won't_ tell me?"

Silence.

"Come on, Neji-kun! We're friends. You know you can tell me anything," I reasoned with him, feeling very frustrated. I forced a smile onto my face, trying to make him feel at ease in order to open up.

To my disbelief, the opposite happened. A muscle jerked in Neji's jaw. He glared darkly at me and hissed out, "We are **not **_friends_."

The smile on my face instantly died. My heart sank and my mind went completely blank. I wished for the ground below me to open up and swallow me whole.

The haunting words replayed in my mind.

'_We are not friends_.'

My eyes narrowed. My body started to shake, full of rage.

"Fine!" I yelled, repeatedly pushing his chest while hot, angry tears started to blur my vision. "Don't tell me what's bothering you! I don't care anymore! You know, I thought that we were best friends, but clearly I was wrong! Hyuuga Neji, you are the most egoistic, self-centered, cold-hearted, good for nothing jerk! I hate yo—"

Without warning, Neji's mouth suddenly came crashing down on mine.

**SHIKAMARU'S P.O.V**

"Ino."

No response.

"Mendōkusei... Ino, wake up," I ordered, shaking her gently. I didn't want to wake her up, but my rear was getting numb from sitting for too long.

She began to rouse, shifting her position in my arms. We had been sitting on the staircase when she had fallen asleep. I moved her in between my legs on the stair below me. Her back rested against my chest as my arms encased her.

"Hmm? Shika?" Ino asked groggily as she opened her eyes to look at her surroundings. Her blue orbs shot wide open when she noticed our position. The blonde seventeen-year-old jerked away, nearly causing her to fall down the stairs. Luckily, I was able to grab the troublesome girl before she harmed herself.

"Be careful," I scolded. Once I was sure she had regained her balance, I hesitantly let her go. An awkward silence settled between us.

Ino grabbed the banister and checked what was going on downstairs. I stretched, my muscles screaming in protest from being hunched over for so long.

"Where are the others?" asked Ino, straightening her long ponytail.

"I don't know where Neji and Tenten went. Naruto and Hinata took a walk on the beach. Sasuke went upstairs with Sakura a while ago."

"Poor Sasuke! Is he still trying to get her to sober up?"

"I guess. I didn't realize she was drunk until he was carrying her upstairs." I chuckled slightly, remembering what happened earlier.

_**Flashback**_

"Shikamaru, have you seen Ayumi-chan?" Takehiko asked, his green eyes frantically searching the area.

"I think she's outside on the back porch," I responded, leaning against the doorframe that led to the kitchen.

My soccer teammate muttered his thanks before heading off in search of his girlfriend.

A couple of drunken sophomores bumped into me as they exited the kitchen. I would have yelled at them if it didn't require energy.

My left hand rose to pinch the bridge of my nose. I was exhausted, but it was way too loud to try to get some sleep. I mentally cursed my two blonde friends for coming up with the idea of throwing this stupid party.

I was about to go back out into the living room when something caught my eye. Sakura was standing in front of the cabinet, trying to get something off the top shelf. When she realized it was just out of her reach, she began to whine.

Then, Sasuke appeared out of nowhere behind the sixteen-year-old girl and easily took the box off the shelf. She swiveled around and bumped into his chest. When she had regained her balance and straightened her glasses, Sasuke handed the box to her. The pink haired geek squealed in delight and quickly tore the box open.

I couldn't read the label on the box, but it appeared to be a cracker-like treat. Sakura immediately began to stuff the sweets into her mouth. She reminded me of a chipmunk storing food in its cheeks.

They were blocking the way for students who were getting drinks, so Sakura tried to move out of the way by sitting on the countertop. The green-eyed girl was uncharacteristically uncoordinated and couldn't seem to get up.

Sasuke surprised me by grabbing her waist and easily hoisting her onto the countertop. The young Uchiha stepped between the gap of her knees and placed his arms on either side of her.

For someone who liked his personal space, he seemed to really like to invade hers.

I would have thought the scene was endearing if it weren't for Sasuke's scowl while Sakura tried to shove a handful of crackers down his throat. The seventeen-year-old basketball captain caught her tiny wrist and it looked like he was scolding her.

At first, Sakura seemed to be pouting, but then she let out a squeal and glomped onto the boy in front of her. I couldn't see the Haruno girl's expression because her bangs always shrouded her face, but I could clearly see my teammate's face.

Sasuke was blushing.

_**End Flashback**_

I should have figured out that Sakura was drunk. She wasn't exactly falling all over the place like normal drunks, so I assumed she was just really hyper tonight. It just took me a while to put two and two together.

"Well," Ino said, pulling me out of my musings, "I should get started on cleaning up the place. Hinata's dad would freak if he found out we trashed it."

I nodded. Then the two of us made our way downstairs.

**NORMAL P.O.V. (Saturday: Night)**

Tenten couldn't wrap her mind around what Neji was doing at the moment.

He was kissing her.

Neji, the guy she'd had a crush on since forever, was **kissing** her.

Her eyes drifted closed and her arms dropped to her sides. She couldn't move, let alone _breathe_.

The kiss was light and gentle and had the butterflies in her stomach fluttering like crazy. It was a simple mouth to mouth kiss, yet what was so extraordinary was the _emotions_ behind the kiss. It was so unearthly and intense that it made her feel light-headed.

Neji tried to convey all of his feelings for her in that sweet, simple kiss. His heart was doing cartwheels when he felt her relax in his embrace. One of his arms was wrapped around her body, keeping her close. His other hand had reached up to cup her face.

He had no idea what made him attack her with his mouth. Something inside him just snapped when she said that she hated him. All he wanted to do was prove her wrong and shut her up. His body acted on its own accord.

The seventeen-year-old Hyuuga desperately wanted to deepen the kiss, but he didn't want to take it any further because Tenten hadn't responded. She basically just... stood there, neither kissing back nor resisting.

The kiss was over as soon as it happened. The brunette tomboy slowly opened her eyes and peered into pools of lavender. Neji instantly released her and backed up. Heat crept up the back of his neck and his cheeks felt like they were on fire.

She just stood there gawking like an idiot at the flushed Hyuuga teen. The shocked brunette touched her slightly bruised lips. Her legs felt like jelly.

Tenten's blush reddened when she saw the way Neji's eyes would dart between her eyes and mouth.

"N-Neji-kun…" Tenten stuttered his name out, "w-why did you just k-kiss me?"

Neji fidgeted and stared at anything and everything except the object of his affections. The tips of his ears were bright red.

"Because... I felt like it?"

"_WHAT_?"

"I mean..." Neji paused to let out a huge, frustrated sigh and gestured to the edge of the pier. "Sit down. We need to talk."

The flustered girl hesitated before complying with Neji's command. As soon as they were both situated with their legs hanging off of the edge of the pier, the awkwardly nervous Hyuuga began his explanation.

"Tenten, how long have we known each other?" Neji questioned. Tenten was quiet for a while as she tried to remember. Her brain was still fuzzy from their kiss.

"We've know each other ever since we were two years old. Our parents introduced us because they were close friends and did business with each other. So that means…. we've know each other for fifteen years," Tenten responded.

Neji nodded and looked out into the horizon once again with furrowed brows.

The sun was setting, almost completely covered by the continuous expanse of ocean. The water shimmered as the last dim rays pierced it. The sky was a purplish-pink color and the sight of a few stars had become apparent. The scene was absolutely breathtaking and ethereal.

"The two of us have been through a lot together. I've spent most of my life getting to know you. We've had fifteen years' worth of arguments, fifteen years' worth of laughs, and fifteen years' worth of tears. And hopefully, after I've known you for _fifty_ years, we'll both be looking back on this moment remembering that it took me fifteen years to finally tell you... "

Neji turned to face Tenten and stared deeply into her eyes.

"I'm in love with you."

Tenten's mind went completely blank and her heart stopped beating.

"W-W-What?"

"You know what I said. Don't make me repeat myself. Saying it once was hard enough," Neji huffed, looking embarrassed.

Tenten's heart was racing and her thoughts started to muddle together.

"Y-You're in l-love with me? B-But you just told me that we weren't friends!" Tenten screamed, totally confused.

Neji grabbed her chin and tilted her head upwards. He had never felt so exposed and so emotionally naked. He felt utterly defenseless.

"That's just it. I've never seen you as '_just a friend.'_You're much more than that to me," he whispered, "I know you probably don't feel the same wa—"

Tenten quickly silenced Neji by placing her soft lips on his. His eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat. He quickly snapped out of his shocked state and pressed into the kiss.

The kiss started out slow and gentle, but it quickly escalated. Neji pulled Tenten close and wrapped his muscular arms around her. She gasped when the teenage Hyuuga suddenly thrust his tongue into her mouth.

Tenten moaned as his tongue started to explore and tangle with hers. She blushed bright red when he started to suck on her tongue. The kiss consumed them both, and even though it was clumsy and inexperienced, for a moment the passion was there to make up for it.

Neji let out a low groan when Tenten's hands started to fist his hair. He clutched her small form tightly and released all the sexual frustration he'd been suppressing for years. They pulled away, breathing harshly. Neji's head started to spin and his heart pounded in his chest. Tenten felt like she was about to go into cardiac arrest.

"I love you too," Tenten whispered, panting.

The lightest feeling Neji had ever experienced settled on his chest. He didn't think it was possible for her to reciprocate his feelings, but she _did_…

Neji smiled. _The _Hyuuga Neji was actually smiling.

He dipped his head down and kissed her again, craving the taste of her. He stopped kissing her, letting his lips linger over hers, occasionally brushing them.

"Be my girlfriend?" he asked, whispering against her lips. Tenten's smile broadened and her eyes sparkled.

"Of course," she replied, resisting the urge to squeal, "But I have one condition." Neji raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow in question.

"No one finds out about our relationship... yet. The last thing I want is to be picked on and teased about my new boyfriend. People are still on my case about the whole 'Hyuuga Tenten' thing. Plus, your fangirls would try to kill me in my sleep if they found out. So are you willing to keep it a secret just between the two of us?"

"Aa," Neji agreed, chastely kissing her. "By the way, are you wearing makeup?"

"Only lip gloss," she answered, "Ino even forced me into this outfit."

"You look nice," he stated simply.

Tenten twisted her body and sat sideways on his lap. They spent hours just talking and stealing kisses in between. Neji's insides felt fuzzy and his heart was doing funny things in his chest whenever Tenten's lips would touch his.

After a while, Tenten fell asleep in Neji's arms. He stood up and carried his girlfriend bridal-style back to the beach house. His eyes softened as he gazed at the fragile girl who had her head buried in his jacket.

He looked up at the stars and whispered, "Hyuuga Tenten... Someday..."

**HINATA'S P.O.V. (Saturday: Night)**

"...and then all of a sudden the old lady hit me with her umbrella!"

I giggled at Naruto's silly story.

Naruto surprised me by taking me out on our third date. He set up a little picnic on the beach and we watched the sun set. Now, we were taking a long, moonlit walk on the beach; the sand tickling our bare feet. I had to stop myself from fainting when Naruto reached out and held my hand.

"Hinata-chan?"

I smiled shyly and blushed. "Yes, Naruto-kun?"

"I have a surprise for you... Close your eyes and hold out your arm," he instructed, his hand digging into the pocket of his orange jacket.

I hesitated before doing as he asked. I shut my eyes and lifted my right arm. My curiosity peaked when I felt him place something cold on my wrist.

"Okay, you can open your eyes."

I slowly opened my eyes. What I saw made my jaw drop.

**NARUTO'S P.O.V.**

My palms were sweating like crazy and my chest felt tight with anxiety. This was even worse than waiting those three grueling minutes for the ramen to be ready! I bit my lower lip in nervousness as I watched Hinata stare wide-eyed at the present I had just given her.

It was a silver charm bracelet encrusted with sapphire gems. I would've gotten her the golden charm bracelet, but I noticed that she hated flashy accessories. I had the bracelet littered with sapphires because blue was her favorite color.

"I-I love it! Thank you, Naruto-kun!" Hinata smiled at me and my insides turned to mush.

"Wait, there's more." I clipped three small charms onto the chain and held up her tiny wrist. "The charm of a ramen bowl represents our first date. The flower charm represents the time we had our second date in the meadow near the park. The charm of the moon represents our date tonight. For every date we go on, I will add a charm to your bracelet. Expect a lot of ramen bowl charms."

Hinata beamed and threw her small arms around my neck. I returned the gesture by wrapping my arms around her small form. She laughed as I twirled her around a few times.

I placed my lips upon hers for a deep, lingering kiss. I slipped my tongue in tentatively, exploring and pushing. I pulled back slowly and rested my forehead against hers. My eyes tried to convey what I was too scared to say aloud:

'_I love you.'_

**NEJI'S P.O.V. (Saturday: Middle of the Night)**

"Sasuke, put down that bottle. NOW," Shikamaru ordered, looking irritated and tired.

The four of us guys were in the living room while all the girls were asleep in the rooms. Ino—the insane neat freak—had woken up and finished all the cleaning before passing out again from exhaustion. We had just finished sending everyone home, taking away some of their car keys and hauling taxis for the drunk teens. Most of them had their own personal chauffeurs, so the job was done relatively quickly.

Sasuke had told us what happened between him and Sakura. He was trying to drink his guilt away, but his extremely high tolerance to alcohol prevented him from getting drunk easily. Sasuke was already on his third bottle and the effects of the alcohol still hadn't kicked in. He looked like crap and I was pretty sure he felt like it too.

"Teme, look on the bright side. At least it was you and not some other guy," Naruto pointed out.

Sasuke's head snapped up at the mention of another male with Sakura.

"What other guy?" His eyes darkened as his body tensed.

I rolled my eyes. "The idiot was just saying that you should be glad it was you and not someone who would have fully taken advantage of her."

"Naruto's right. You had the decency to stop before anything happened. Any other guy would've gone all the way," I said.

"Just forget it ever happened," Shikamaru said, "Move on. What's done is done. Now put the bottle away and go to sleep."

Sasuke scowled at us, and then stared down at the bottle in his hands, contemplating.

"Whatever," he sighed. The Uchiha heir placed the bottle on the coffee table, sighed deeply, and ran his hands through his hair in a frustrated manner.

Sasuke turned his gaze towards me and asked, "Neji, why are your lips glittery?"

My eyes widened in realization.

Oh fu—

Before I could respond, Shikamaru swiped his thumb over my lip and examined the residue on his finger.

"Neji's wearing lip gloss!"

"My lips were dry..."

They started laughing at my lame excuse. I can't believe I forgot to wipe off Tenten's lip gloss!

"It's getting late. Good night Shikamaru, dobe," Sasuke did a mocking bow, "and Lady Hyuuga."

"Screw off."

Sasuke smirked and headed upstairs. They decided to switch rooms since Sakura was already passed out in Hinata and Naruto's room.

As soon as Sasuke was out of earshot, Naruto turned to us and said, "So how are we going to fix things between teme and Sakura?"

"I have a plan. Here's what we're going to do..."

**-0-0-0-0-0-**

"Got it?" Shikamaru inquired, yawning. Naruto and I nodded our heads.

Shikamaru checked his wrist watch, "It's three in the morning. In order for our plan to work we have to wake up early. We should go to sleep."

Shikamaru stood up and made his way to his room. I was about to leave the living room when Naruto clasped my shoulder and turned me around. He had an idiotic grin on his face.

"Don't worry, Neji! I sometimes wear lip gloss too! How did you think I got my ultra-smooth lips? My favorite flavor is ramen! What's yours?"

"..."

_End of thirteenth chapter_

XXXXX

**Preview for next chapter:**

"You're in love with her?"

"No!"

"So... You hate her?"

"NO!"

"Aha! So you do like her!"

"No! Now stop that! Just shut up, nii-san!"

I laughed at the small blush Sasuke had on his face. My little brother was so obvious sometimes...

**Author's Note: **Review and I will love you FOREEEVVVVVVVVEERRRRR! SENDING YOU ALL CYBER BEAR HUGS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!

I need a cover for this story. Anyone have any suggestions on a cute SasuSaku pic that will fit this story?

God bless you all. Have a wonderful weekend!

Peace and love,

Teddy


	14. Poking

**DEDICATION:** THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED **ShadowDarknessCherryBlossom** FOR BEING MY **1,200th** **REVIEWER!**

**Special thanks **to** Naruto-fan-Okami-chan **for being an awesome beta! I'd be lost without her.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

...

**Chapter Fourteen: Poking**

**SASUKE'S P.O.V. (Sunday: Morning)**

I blinked groggily and groaned when I heard a familiar ring tone. Slowly, I sat up from my make-shift bed on the floor, casting a glance to check if Sakura was still sleeping. She was.

My back was sore from sleeping on the hard floor. I stretched to ease the ache, but it didn't help much.

My hand reached out and grabbed my cell phone beside my pillow. I scowled when I caught sight of the name on the caller ID.

'_Why is Neji calling me at ten in the morning?' _

I pressed the answer button and made my way out onto the balcony, careful to not wake the sleeping pink head.

"What do you want?" I bit out, annoyed out of my mind. My back hurt like crazy and I didn't get enough sleep. I shut my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Good morning to you too, Uchiha," Neji scoffed over the phone, "I'm just calling to inform you that everyone has left the beach house already. You're alone with Sakura."

My eyes shot open once his words registered.

"Hyuuga, stop messing with me. Where are you guys?"

"I'm not lying. The rest of us woke up early and decided to leave. Ino dropped Naruto and Hinata off at my house so Naruto could meet my uncle. The idiot was so nervous he almost pissed in his pants. Then, Ino dropped Tenten and I off at Tenten's house so we could..." Neji paused for a while, "work on our physics project. I don't know where Shikamaru and Ino headed off to. Shikamaru left his keys on the counter so you can drive his car back home."

"Why did you leave?! I thought we decided to stay here for another night since we don't have school on Monday!" I hissed. Then something clicked in my mind, "You guys planned this, didn't you?" The silence on the other side of the line confirmed my suspicions. "Hyuuga, when I get my hands on you..." I let the threat hang in the air.

"Calm down. We did you a favor. You'll see. And I know you're a seventeen-year-old boy with hormones, but try to control your urges."

With that said, he hung up. The overwhelming temptation to throw my phone over the balcony washed through me, but I decided against it. I returned to the bedroom, muttering curses under my breath.

Then, my cell went off once again. It was a text message.

_**'By the way, the people from last night are coming to the beach house later to pick up their cars. Sakura and you will have to wait a while so you can give them their keys. -Neji'**_

I glared at the cell phone. That guy was seriously going to die once I got my hands on him. Sighing, I plunked down onto the end of the bed and buried my head in my hands.

Why me? Don't they know that if they leave me alone with Sakura for who knows how long, some things are bound to happen?

My head snapped upwards when I heard the sheets shuffle. I turned my body to stare at Sakura as she slowly opened her green eyes. The source of my misery sat up and groaned as she held her aching head in her small, delicate hands.

"Hung over?" I asked. She was such a light weight.

She responded by groaning in pain again. She turned and looked me straight in the eye. My heart jumped to my throat and an uncomfortable feeling gripped my stomach.

"What happened last night? And why does my mouth hurt and my lips feel bruised?" Sakura groaned, placing a nursing hand over her swollen lips.

'_Maybe it's because I had my tongue shoved halfway down your throat?'_

I flinched at the thought. No way was I ever going to tell her about last night.

Then it hit me. If she didn't know why her mouth hurt, then she didn't remember the previous night. The long apology I had planned out in my head all night was all for nothing.

'_I'll tell her what really happened… one day.'_

"You tripped last night and banged your mouth against the stairs' banister," I lied. "We should get ready."

I made my way to the bathroom and shut the door, trying to escape Sakura's piercing green eyes.

**-0-0-0-0-0-**

I placed two bowls of food on the marble counter as I sat down on a stool. Right on cue, the very hung over Sakura descended from the stairs and took a seat across from me. As soon as she was seated, we began to dig into our breakfast.

"Feeling better?" I queried, worried she had alcohol poisoning or was dehydrated.

"Stop yelling!" she whined, immediately dropping her chopsticks to cover her ears. She was experiencing her first hangover and it seemed that she had a massive headache. I smirked at her.

"You enjoy my misfortune, don't you?" Sakura pouted and my traitorous eyes settled on her lips. Suddenly, memories of last night flashed through my mind. I gulped and quickly looked away, my stomach clenching. My body felt hot whenever I remembered how her lips felt against mine.

I barely slept last night. Thoughts of what happened between me and Sakura plagued my mind and my body reacted very... _painfully_. Let's just say that a certain male appendage was quite_ unhappy _with my decision to stop. At least I knew I did the right thing.

'_But if she wasn't drunk and kept moving her hips like that...'_

I resisted the urge to connect my head to the marble counter. Things were easier when my hormones weren't out of control and I could think straight.

My eyes drifted to her once again. Guilt instantly consumed me. I had taken advantage of her. If she knew what happened, she'd be disgusted with me.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, poking at my food.

"Huh?" Sakura shot me a questioning look.

"Just know that... I'm sorry." I lowered my head and resumed eating my breakfast. The pink haired teen remained silent and just stared at me for a while. She shook her head in confusion and continued eating.

My cell phone began to ring and I excused myself to answer it. I assumed it was Neji and I didn't want Sakura to hear me cursing him out. Once I was in the living room, I took my cell out of my pocket and checked the caller ID. I nearly choked when I saw who the caller was.

It was Itachi.

**INO'S P.O.V. (Sunday)**

"It's so pretty here," I whispered, afraid my voice would break the tranquility. The teenage boy on my right side just shrugged.

Shikamaru and I were seated on top of a large hill in the Nara Dear Reservation. A large oak tree provided us shade. The sun peeked from behind the slightly gray clouds that littered the heavens.

Our parents, including Chouji's parents, were having lunch together at the Nara residence. The six of them had been best friends since they met in college. They met weekly to catch up and talk.

Chouji wasn't able to attend the lunch because he had a date with his girlfriend. While we were eating, our parents asked if Shikamaru and I could leave the table because they had something important to discuss. My lazy friend suggested we visit the reservation. It had been a while since I'd seen the place, so I agreed.

"Do you like him?"

My eyes widened. A shocked expression covered my face and I turned my body to face Shikamaru.

"Who?" The question was said out of the blue and confused me greatly.

"Sai," Shikamaru scoffed, picking at the grass in front of him. The lazy boy's usually relaxed posture was stiff. The intensity of his stare made my cheeks burn.

"He's a good friend," I answered honestly, slightly frowning.

"So... You only think of him as a friend?" His voice sounded oddly hopefully, but I didn't read too much into his tone.

"Why do you need to know?" I spat out, feeling defensive. I didn't like Sai. Sure, he's hot and everything, but my heart already belonged to the lazy, oblivious genius.

"Because he's not good enough for you. I know how Sai treats girls and I forbid you to associate with him."

I gawked at the deadly serious Shikamaru. Who did he think he was to forbid me from talking to Sai? I was about to retort when Shikamaru suddenly lifted his large hand and brushed away my bangs, tucking them behind my ear. His fingertips trailed down my cheek, leaving goose bumps in their wake.

"I just... I don't want to see you get hurt," Shikamaru whispered, his voice was uncharacteristically soft. My eyes widened and my heart raced in my chest. Our eyes locked and time came to a halt.

Suddenly, Shikamaru retracted his hand as if he had been burned.

"We should get going. It looks like it's about to rain," he grumbled. The Nara teen stood up and began to walk away.

I stared at his retreating form, too stunned to move.

**SAKURA'S P.O.V. (Sunday: Midday)**

"Ready?" Sasuke asked as I dumped my duffle bag in the back seat of the truck.

"Yup!" I chirped. The long nap and aspirin I had made me feel a lot better. My head was no longer hurting and I didn't feel nauseous.

We took our seats and Sasuke pulled out of the drive way. I carefully wiped the rain drops off of my glasses. My wet bangs clung to my skin. It had begun to rain and we had gotten mildly wet while making our way into the car.

Sasuke had informed me that our friends were busy so they had to leave earlier than planned. I was pissed off because I assumed it was a ploy created by Ino to get Sasuke and I alone. The two of us were leaving the beach house at noon since we had to wait for some of the students who left their cars at the beach house so we could give them their keys.

We were on our way to the Uchiha mansion for our tutoring session. We had originally agreed to hold it at my house, but Sasuke said his brother had made a surprise visit and was waiting for him.

Sasuke introduced Itachi to me when we were in elementary. His older brother had come to our school to pick up his little brother. Itachi was five years older than us and had strange lines etched on his face. He always wore his hair in a low ponytail and constantly had girls chasing after him. The older Uchiha started to attend boarding school when he entered sixth grade, leaving Sasuke—who was in first grade at the time—behind. The last time I had seen Itachi was at one of Sasuke's birthday parties many years ago.

"So now that Itachi has graduated from college, what is he doing for a living?" I questioned.

"He's working for the ANBU Black Ops," Sasuke answered.

"Oh, that's so cool!" I gushed. I couldn't believe Itachi worked for the government's secret service!

Sasuke smirked at my reaction, taking one of his hands off of the steering wheel to lightly poke my forehead with his two fingers. Swatting his hand away, I laughed. A couple moments of comfortable silence passed before I inquired about something I've always wondered about.

"Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?" Sasuke questioned.

"Poke my forehead. You've always done that since we were little," I pointed out.

Sasuke frowned and seemed genuinely confused about my question. He simply responded by shrugging his broad shoulders. I decided to drop the topic.

"The storm looks pretty harsh," I observed as the rain splattered even harder against the glass of the passenger window.

"Aa," he agreed. He didn't seem too worried though.

The sound of thunder caught me off guard. I gasped, clutching tightly onto the seat belt strap. It was suddenly hard to breathe.

Sasuke looked concerned as he took his eyes off the road to check if I was alright.

He was one of the few people who knew about my fear of thunder. There was a thunderstorm the day my grandfather died. We had a very close relationship and his death had really affected me. Whenever I heard the sound of thunder, I felt as if something bad was waiting right around the corner.

That was one of the rare times my former close friend was there for me. He stood silently by my side at the funeral.

The thunder died down and the only sound was the pitter patter of the rain. My breathing steadied and I was finally able to relax.

"I'm okay," I said, embarrassed about having a panic attack in front of my crush.

We arrived at the Uchiha estate after the two hour drive. The two of us grabbed our bags and proceeded into the mansion. When Niro greeted us and took our bags, Sasuke ordered him to have some of his workers return the truck to Shikamaru.

"Otouto!" called a deep, baritone voice. Sasuke and I spun around to find Itachi approaching us. I eyed him critically as he came closer. The former troublemaking Uchiha had gotten a lot taller and more mature since the last time I saw him.

"Hello, aniki," Sasuke greeted. They did that weird handshake-hug combo that guys usually do.

The two brothers began conversing as I stood awkwardly behind Sasuke. I felt like I had intruded on a private moment. Feeling out of place, I began to bite my nails.

"Sakura?" Itachi asked in disbelief, pulling me out of my musings, "is that you?" He appeared to be astonished at the sight of me. Smiling, I nodded shyly.

"Wow, you've grown so much! It's been years since I've last seen you."

"It's nice to see you again, Itachi-san!" I bowed respectfully.

"Now, now. There's no need to be formal with your brother-in-law." Itachi winked.

At his brother's words, Sasuke's jaw tensed and a muscle jerked. A blush crept up my neck and my eyes nearly fell out of their sockets. I waved my hands wildly as I stuttered, "U-Uhh... S-Sasuke and I... W-We're n—"

"Sakura and I are not in a relationship," Sasuke interrupted, glaring daggers at his older brother. If looks could kill, Itachi would be lying in a pool of his own blood.

"Yet," Itachi joked, smirking at his younger brother. Said brother decided to throw some very colorful words his way in response.

"Excuse me?" I choked out, thinking I heard him wrong.

"Oh, nothing." Itachi waved his hand in a dismissive manner. He smoothly changed the topic of discussion and ushered us into the living room. The two boys sat down on the plush sofa, but my need to empty my bladder stopped me from joining them.

"I need to use the bathroom. Sasuke, where can I find it?"

"Go down that hallway. It's the third door to your right," Sasuke instructed, gesturing to where I should go.

I nodded, disappearing down the long hallway.

**ITACHI'S P.O.V. (Sunday)**

"You're in love with her?"

"No!"

"So... you hate her?"

"NO!"

"Ah-ha! So you do like her!"

"No! Now stop that! Just shut up, nii-san!"

I laughed when a tint of red appeared on Sasuke's pale cheeks. My little brother was so obvious sometimes. This was way too easy.

"What are you two doing together if she isn't your girlfriend?"

"She's tutoring me in calculus," Sasuke stated, shifting uncomfortably. I leaned back on the couch as my younger sibling began his tale of how our parents asked for a tutor because his grades were slipping.

"That is the biggest load of crap I have ever heard. Math is your best subject! I don't see why your grade would go down... Unless..." my eyes widened in realization, "You dropped your grade on purpose, didn't you?"

He merely glared, confirming my suspicions. This was hilarious.

"So what kind of problems are you two going over in your little tutoring sessions? You plus her, subtract the clothes, divide the legs, and multi—"

"Shut up!" shouted a flustered Sasuke. "You just love to provoke me, don't you?" he hissed.

"You just love to be provoked, don't you?" I shot back.

He muttered some very un-brotherly words and I couldn't help but laugh.

"You're in denial, Sasuke-kun. You should just admit that you like her and get it over with."

"I do _not _ like her." Sasuke stood up out of irritation and began pacing.

"Oh really? Then why did you always let Sakura borrow your video games and not let any of your other friends do so?" I teased, "And why were our parents called into the principal's office when you were younger? Oh yeah…"

He halted, instantly stiffening. Gotcha.

"It was because you punched your classmate in the face for hugging Sakura," I said, feeling triumphant. I had him cornered.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sasuke huffed, crossing his arms over his chest defensively. He refused to look at me.

"Sure, you don't," I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm, "Why must you continue to deny your feelings for her? I know for a fact that you've liked her ever since you were little."

"How many times must I repeat myself? I don't like her. Stop being annoying."

"Are you sure?" I inquired skeptically, standing up from my seat.

"Aa."

Taking a couple steps forward, I placed myself directly in front of him.

"I bet I could find proof that you like Sakura by the end of the day," I challenged.

Sasuke hesitated, but eventually caved in because of his desire to prove me wrong.

"Deal," Sasuke said as we shook on it.

**NORMAL P.O.V.**

The pink haired teen walked quietly back into the living room after she had used the restroom. Itachi and Sasuke were conversing, the latter standing a couple feet away from the sofa. The open seats were on the other side of the long-haired man.

"Excuse me," Sasuke's tutor said before trying to pass in front of Itachi. Suddenly, the older Uchiha had a bright idea. He slightly stuck his foot out and Sakura—being the clumsy person she is—tripped over it.

Sakura yelped as she felt herself falling forward. She closed her eyes, waiting for the pain of the impact, but it never came.

Instead, she found herself in the arms of the only boy she's ever loved.

It took quite a while for her mind to register that her face was buried in Sasuke's chest while his arms engulfed her petite form. Sakura's face heated up and her heart slammed in her chest.

The younger Uchiha mentally cursed his brother to the deepest pits of hell. He instantly released her once she had regained her footing and turned away. After last night, his senses were hypersensitive whenever he was in close proximity of Sakura. He tried to conceal his overwhelmed emotions and senses from their close proximity.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura. I didn't mean to trip you," Itachi apologized, silently laughing at his little brother's reaction from catching his crush.

"It's okay," Sakura assured, sounding slightly breathless. She straightened her glasses, feeling a bit lightheaded.

Sasuke cleared his throat and said, "We should start the tutoring session. Excuse us." He and Sakura grabbed their bags and made their way to Sasuke's room. Itachi smirked and shook his head.

"Foolish, little, love-sick brother..."

**SAKURA'S P.O.V. (Sunday: Night)**

"So what time should I meet you tomorrow?" I asked, adjusting my glasses on the bridge of my nose.

"I'll pick you up after lunch." Sasuke leaned against his front door, his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Okay."

The onyx-eyed boy was about to turn the door knob when Itachi's voice interrupted.

"Where do you two think you're going?" his older brother questioned, staring at us like we were crazy.

"I'm going to drop off Sakura," Sasuke answered, waving his keys.

"Doesn't Sakura live on the other side of the Juizo Bridge?"

Sasuke and I nodded in confirmation.

"Due to the storm, the Juizo River is flooded and they won't let anyone cross the bridge. It's too dangerous because the water has completely covered the bridge."

"WHAT?" I screeched. Itachi beckoned us to follow him into the living room. Sure enough, the weather reporter on the television was announcing that the only road that led to my home from the Uchiha mansion was blocked until the storm passes.

"Well, it looks like Sakura will have to stay for the night," Itachi said, sounding oddly pleased. He poked Sasuke on the forehead with two fingers. My eyes widened at the gesture.

"Go tell the maids to prepare one of the guestrooms for Sakura," Itachi commanded. Sasuke was obviously displeased with being given orders from his brother, but complied none the less.

"What does it mean?" I asked Itachi as soon as Sasuke was out of sight.

"What does what mean?"

"Poking Sasuke on his forehead. What is the meaning of that gesture?"

Itachi contemplated silently before answering, "I've always done it since we were younger. I sometimes do that to my girlfriend or other relatives. It's a sign of affection. I told Sasuke that it's how I show that I love them."

My heart stopped.

**SASUKE'S P.O.V. (Sunday: Midnight)**

I sighed as I stared up at my white ceiling. Sleep evaded me and it was really starting to annoy me. Frowning, I remembered Itachi trying to get me to confess that I liked Sakura. I wasn't lying when I told him I didn't** like** her.

'_I think I'm in love with __her...'_

Sitting up, I looked out the windows to see the storm still raged outside. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed. I could hear the sound of a tree falling in the distance.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," I called.

"S-Sasuke?" Sakura came to stand in front of me, looking frightened.

"What's wrong?" I gently pulled on her arm to make her sit on my bed.

"I-I know this sounds weird, but is it okay if I sleep with y-you tonight? The th-the thunder..."

"Aa," I answered, throwing the covers back. I had hoped she had already fallen asleep and wouldn't hear the thunder.

She looked teary-eyed and absolutely terrified. My 'I-must-protect-Sakura' mode made its way to the surface. Before I realized what I was doing, I pulled on her arm again and guided her body towards mine. My back leaned against the headboard that was cushioned by my pillows. I settled her shaking body between my legs and let her lay her head on my bare chest. My hand gently rubbed her back as she sniffled quietly.

"I'm sorry for bothering y-you. I can just sleep on the flo—"

"Stop being annoying and just go to sleep."

She smiled tiredly. "T-Thank you, Sasuke," Sakura yawned and snuggled closer, too tired and scared to care about her actions. She closed her eyes and automatically fell into a deep slumber.

I brushed away the annoying bangs that constantly covered her eyes and studied her face. There was no urge to maul her or anything of the inappropriate nature. The only thing I felt was a need to protect the small girl in my arms.

Hesitantly, I pressed my mouth against her temple. A feeling of contentment and peace spread throughout my body. It felt so… right.

A flash unexpectedly went off in my room. My head snapped towards my door so fast I nearly got whiplash. Itachi stood in the doorway, holding a camera in his right hand and fanning a Polaroid picture in his left.

My eyes widened.

Oh. Fu—.

"I knew it! You looooooove her!"

"Shut _up_!"

_End of fourteenth chapter_

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**Author's Note: **Please review! Feedback keeps me going.

God bless,

Teddy


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